The month of November is culturally dedicated to the dead. Many enlightened masters endorse that the more we are aware of our looming and inevitable deaths, the better equipped we would be in keeping our equilibrium and see things in their right perspective without getting caught up in the drama going on around us.

It is interesting to note how, at such a vulnerable time, many well-known personalities have dealt with their imminent death… On studying their final words, one finds that these either reflected their personality or else provided a very unpredictable reaction.

When actor Bob Hope (1903-2003) was asked on his deathbed where he wishes to be buried, his answer was “Surprise me!” while Charles Chaplin (1889-1977) was quite his usual self even on his deathbed. Mostly remembered for his silent picture roles as a little man with a moustache wearing a baggy suit and derby, Chaplin was considered to be the cinema’s greatest comedian.

When the priest, who was attending him on his deathbed, said: “May the Lord have mercy on your soul”, Chaplin’s quick response was: “Why not? After all, it belongs to Him.” Those were his final words.

One of the world’s greatest musical geniuses was German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). His hearing had begun to fail by 1798 but he still kept producing musical masterpieces. His last 30 years of life were filled with personal tragedies, including legal battles for custody of his nephew following the death of his brother, depression after ending a relationship with a woman, financial problems and deteriorating health after his nephew attempted suicide in 1826. His final words were: “Friends, applaud, the comedy is over.”

Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938), the great Italian poet, novelist, playwright, war hero and fascist adventurer, dominated cultural circles in Italy for 40 years and often used his romantic exploits in his literary works. He had fled to Paris in 1910 to escape indebtedness through his extravagant lifestyle and during World War I he aggressively lobbied for Italy’s entry on the Allied side. During the war, he also achieved fame as a naval commander and ace pilot. His political philosophy, a combination of libertarian, radical and rightist ideals, formed the foundation for Italian fascism. Surprisingly, his last words were: “I’m bored. I’m bored”.

As so was Winston Churchill (1874-1965). His final words were: “I’m bored with it all”.

It’s interesting to ponder what could be an appropriate epitaph on our tombstone as our last message to the living

Surprising too were the words of George Reeves (1914-1959), the ‘Superman’ of the classic 1950s television series. Late one night, while he was living with a fiancée and another friend, he was visited by two other friends. He was so angry that he was awakened that he said: “I’m tired. I’m going back to bed”, after which he went upstairs to his bedroom and shot himself in the head with a 30-calibre luger.

Even royalty is susceptible at such final moments.

“My God. What’s happened?” were the very last words Diana (1961-1997), Princess of Wales, said before she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. After an evening of partying, Diana and Dodi, her companion, hopped into their Mercedes along with their bodyguard and ordered their drunken chauffeur to race through the streets of Paris to avoid the paparazzi. Lady Di’s final words were recorded in official police files.

Anybody in the same situation would probably react as Lady Di. However, would we probably expect some more regal expressions from a royalty? Hardly, from what we are to see below. At the end of the day, we are all human, and facing death is a challenge to all, high and low.

When Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533-1603), was approaching death after a reign marked by the glamour of her court, as well of the success of her policies, she said: “All my possessions for a moment of time”. Quite revealing and food for thought.

The first woman member of Parliament in the UK was noted for her biting wit and often got into verbal tiffs with Prime Minister Winston Churchill. While on her deathbed, Lady Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor (1879-1964) momentarily awoke to find herself surrounded by her entire family. “Am I dying or is this my birthday?” she asked.

Close to his final breath, Nostradamus (1503-1566) said: “Tomorrow at sunrise I shall no longer be here.” And so it was.

There are also several creative examples of epitaphs people wished to have engraved on their tombstones as if to leave a message to the living.

In a New Mexico cemetery, one epitaph reads: “Here lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon me for not rising.”

And another one in Pennsylvania says: “Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.”

While in a cemetery in Harescombe, England, one finds: “On the 22nd of June, Jonathan Fiddle, went out of tune.”

And in a cemetery in Maryland, the US, there is: “Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and no place to go.” Human closures as represented by final words on a deathbed or inscriptions on epitaphs can be very revealing.

Some can be thought-provoking, enlightening, surprising or even light-hearted…

It’s interesting to ponder what could be an appropriate epitaph on our own tombstone as our last message to the living.

Mary Attard is a freelance writer and photographer.