False of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in prey.
– William Shakespeare
King Lear, Act 3, Scene 4. Edgar, disguised as the Bedlam beggar Poor Tom, answers Lear’s question, "What hast thou been?" With the use of metaphors from the world of nature, he speaks of the animal qualities he displayed during his different roles in life.