History Main / AllAreEqualInDeath

''Rest side-by-side now...'' \\

* ''Theater/Hamlet'': "Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service—two dishes, but to one table. That’s the end."

* Referenced in the first chapter of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Luck_of_Barry_Lyndon The Luck of Barry Lyndon]]'': "It was in the reign of George II that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled: good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now." Note that this lists another king not mentioned in the movie version.

* Similarly, in Jewish tradition, the deceased, regardless of socio-economic status in life, is dressed in a simple white shroud and prayer shawl, and buried in a plain, unvarnished pine coffin.

-->Italian proverb

* Once he's fully gone 'round the bend and turned AxeCrazy, Eddie of ''SilentHill2'' espouses this as part of the reason why he's gone on a killing spree.

* The ''[[Series/{{MASH}} M*A*S*H]]'' episode ''Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead'' is told from the POV of a dead soldier. At the end of the episode he walks down the road toward the afterlife along with all the other dead - U.S. soldiers of various ranks, North Korean soldiers, civilians, etc.

Death comes to all of us, and we will all be treated equally by and in it. It doesn't matter if you're a master or a slave, a sinner or a saint, man or woman, a bishop or knave, white or black -- we are all treated the same. Either the [[FuneralTropes funerals]] or the [[AfterlifeTropes afterlife]] (if any) must be the same for everyone, whichever is used last in the work.

Note that this goes one step further in that everyone is going to die -- everyone must be treated the same as well. Even a statement that everybody is judged the same way implies a weakening of this trope. If everyone has the same funeral, but then go to different afterlives, then the trope is subverted. Put another way, this is AnAesop that all differences among people are erased upon death.

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', Ryuk literally says, in the English translation anyway, "Death is equal." Everyone is treated exactly the same upon death in that universe, because they all go to Mu - nothingness.

Because this is a DeathTrope, there will be spoilers ahead.

->Who was the fool, who the wise man,
->who the beggar or the emperor?
->Whether rich or poor, all are equal in death.

--> '''Gavroche''': ''This was the land that fought for liberty''
--> ''Now when we fight, we fight for bread.''
--> ''Here is the thing about equality:''
--> ''Everyone's equal when they're dead.''

-->'''Brennan:''' When can we talk to him?
-->'''Doctor:''' Any time you want, as long as you don't expect a response. This man has severe brain damage. Off the record, he's not going to wake up. Best case scenario, he spends the rest of his life hooked up to feeding tubes.
-->'''Brennan:''' This is one of the richest men in the country.
-->'''Doctor:''' Most of the time, that might mean something. Not now.

* The movie version of ''Film/LesMiserables'' contains the following lyrics:

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': In "The Titan on the Tracks", a rich industrialist faked his death, then was beaten severely by his accomplice in order to cover his (the accomplice's) participation. The follwoing takes place in his hospital room:

* Anubis in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' speaks with a pretty heavy level of responsibility regarding his job, and doesn't take kindly to be imprisoned by Emir. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkhmjwfkzBY It's detailed in this scene]]:

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'':

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'' debate, Ryuk literally says, in the English translation anyway, "Death is equal." Everyone is treated exactly the same upon death in that universe, because they all go to Mu - nothingness.

Note that this goes one step further than that everyone is going to die -- everyone must be treated the same as well. Even a statement that everybody is judged the same way implies a weakening of this trope. If everyone has the same funeral, but then go to different afterlifes, then the trope is subverted. Put another way, this is AnAesop that all differences between people are erased upon death.

As a DeathTrope, there will be spoilers ahead.

* Death from ComicBook/TheSandman is a rather benevolent version of this trope, she never misses the opportunity to say that everybody dies at the end, but for the same reason and since she knows everything about everyone, she never hates anyone, they are all the same to her but because she knows them all.

* In the end of ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' all of the victims from the Draft Riots get the same barebones burial, in spite of their race, nationality, social class, or gang alliance.

--> Let's face it, alright! The only place different social types can genuinely get along with each other is in heaven.
* The movie version of LesMiserables contains the following lyrics:

* In the ''Literature/{{Chalion}}'' series by Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold every soul is picked up by one of the gods at their death, regardless of status or faith, and which god is shown in a miracle at their funeral. Then explored in the third book, where certain souls are shown to be impossible for the gods to pick up, and the trouble is about how to make them pickable again.
* Also a theme of the Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's short story "[[Literature/VorkosiganSaga Aftermaths]]", showing the crew of a space ship that is out reclaiming the dead bodies after a space battle.

* Referenced in the first chapter of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Luck_of_Barry_Lyndon The Luck of Barry Lyndon]], as "It was in the reign of George II that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled: good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now". Note that this lists another king than the movie version.

* The Series/MASH episode ''Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead'' is told from the POV of a dead soldier. At the end of the episode he walks down the road towards the afterlife along with all the other dead - US soldiers of various ranks, North Korean soldiers, civilians, etc.
* ''{{Series/Bones}}'': In "The Titan on the Tracks" a rich industrialist faked his death, then was beaten severely by his accomplice in order to cover his (the accomplice's) participation. The follwoing takes place in his hospital room:
-->BRENNAN: When can we talk to him?
-->DOCTOR: Any time you want, as long as you don't expect a response. This man has severe brain damage. Off the record, he's not going to wake up. Best case scenario, he spends the rest of his life hooked up to feeding tubes.
-->BRENNAN: This is one of the richest men in the country.
-->DOCTOR: Most of the time, that might mean something. Not now.

* The god [[http://oglaf.com/sithrak/ Sithrak]] in Webcomic/{{Oglaf}} will supposedly treat everyone equally, by torturing them forever.

-->'''Anubis''': On the contrary, death is the ultimate fairness. Rich and poor, young and old, [[TitleDrop all are equal in death]]. You would not like to see the Jackal God play favorites. Think what you are doing: all over the world there is birth, but no death. Our planet cannot support so many lives at once.

* * The epilogue of ''Film/BarryLyndon'' reads "It was in the reign of George III that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled: good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now". See also the original novel.