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
How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath To say to me that thou art out of breath?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously questions the contradiction of being out of breath while still speaking.
In this quote, Shakespeare cleverly plays with the idea of breathlessness, highlighting the absurdity of someone claiming to be out of breath while simultaneously having enough breath to articulate that claim. It suggests a deeper commentary on human nature and communication, reflecting how we often express our struggles even when we still possess the means to do so.
Themes
BreathCommunicationAbsurdityIronyHumor
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of clear communication.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
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Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
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