As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
The arms are fair, When the intent of bearing them is just.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The fairness of using weapons is determined by the righteousness of one's motives.
In this quote, Shakespeare suggests that the legitimacy of wielding power or weaponry depends not on the arms themselves, but on the intentions of the person using them. If one has just and noble intentions, then their use of force can be deemed fair; otherwise, it becomes unjust and morally questionable.
Themes
ArmsJusticeIntentPowerMorality
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a debate about the ethics of military intervention.
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