Not budge an inch Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

Ever felt pressured to conform to somebody else's expectations and values?

Maybe it was at school, at home, or in a romantic relationship. Maybe you were told to act more like a "good girl," or to be a "man." Or to go to a certain college or hang out with a particular group of friends.

We thought so. And we think you'll like the way this quote (and the whole play) makes you think about what that means.

Christopher Sly is a drunk and a beggar with a string of menial jobs and an appetite for cheap beer. He talks a lot of trash, likes bar brawls, and has no respect for women. Frankly, he should move from the alehouse.

But things take a turn when he's tricked into believing that he's not Sly "the beggar" but rather, a "mighty Lord" who has been in a deep sleep for the past fifteen years. Is it really fair to play such mental tricks on someone? To change who someone is, and force them to believe it?

That's really what the whole play is about.

This phrase makes us think about standing firm to who we are. Even if that someone is a drunken beggar (in Sly's case.) As for us, Shmoopers, we don't think you should ever change your personality for anyone. And on that one, we won't budge an inch.