Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow
Upon thy foul disease.
– William Shakespeare
King Lear, Act 1, Scene 1. When a furious Lear reaches for his sword at Kent’s challenge to his disowning Cordelia and calls him a villain, Kent makes this courageous and impertinent response. Using metaphorical language Kent sees himself as the "physician" attempting to cure Lear’s "foul disease"- the behavior that caused him to banish his daughter.