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
Take but degree away, untune that string, and hark, what discord follows!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Removing balance or moderation leads to chaos and disharmony.
In this quote, Shakespeare emphasizes the importance of balance and order in life. The metaphor of a stringed instrument illustrates how even slight alterations can lead to discord and imbalance, suggesting that varying degrees of moderation are crucial for harmony in our actions and relationships.
Themes
BalanceHarmonyOrderModerationChaos
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about teamwork, one could use this quote to emphasize the need for balance among team members.
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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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