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
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jealousy is a destructive emotion that can lead to one's own suffering.
In this quote from Shakespeare, jealousy is personified as a 'green-eyed monster' that not only maliciously mocks those who harbor it but also feeds off the insecurities of its victim. The quote serves as a cautionary warning about the dangers of jealousy, suggesting that it can devour a person's peace of mind and happiness, turning them into a mere shadow of themselves as they are consumed by envy.
Themes
JealousyEmotionDestructionSelf-ReflectionPersonification
In practice
Example use cases
During a relationship seminar, one might quote this to discuss the negative impacts of jealousy on relationships.
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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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It is not the business of government to make men virtuous or religious, or to preserve the fool from the consequences of his own folly. Government should be repressive no further than is necessary to secure liberty by protecting the equal rights of each from aggression on the part of others, and the moment governmental prohibitions extend beyond this line they are in danger of defeating the very ends they are intended to serve.
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To a toad what is beauty? A female with two lovely pop-eyes, a wide mouth, yellow belly, and green spotted back.
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I seem to myself, as in a dream, Am accidental guest in this dreadful body.
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