JULS CSR X CASCA: Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

 A

It sounds like you are thinking of a quote that reflects on the relief of finally facing a long-feared fate. While the exact wording "20 years of dreading death" isn't a direct line from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, there is a very famous passage in the play that addresses this exact sentiment.

In Act 3, Scene 1, following the assassination of Caesar, the conspirators Brutus and Casca have the following exchange:

CASCA: Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life

Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

BRUTUS: Grant that, and then is death a benefit:

So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged

His time of fearing death.

Breakdown of the Sentiment

• The Paradox of Mercy: The conspirators rationalize the murder by claiming they have done Caesar a favor. By killing him now, they argue they have spared him the next twenty years of anxiety and "dread" that comes with aging and the inevitable approach of death.

• Stoic Philosophy: This aligns with the theme in your first image regarding "bad luck saving you from worse luck." In this grim logic, Caesar's "bad luck" (being assassinated) saved him from the "worse luck" of a long, fearful decline.

Similar Quotes in the Play

If you are looking for Caesar’s own perspective on the fear of death, he famously says earlier in the play (Act 2, Scene 2):

"Cowards die many times before their deaths;

The valiant never taste of death but once."

This suggests that living in "dread" is a form of dying every day, whereas facing it head-on ends that cycle.

Would you like me to find the specific scene or more context on how the characters justify their actions in the play?