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
Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fearful individuals experience repeated emotional turmoil about death, while brave individuals face it courageously only once.
This quote by Shakespeare suggests that those who are cowards live in constant fear and anxiety about death, experiencing it mentally many times throughout their lives. In contrast, those who are courageous confront death directly, facing it without the same emotional burden, thus only experiencing its reality once.
Themes
CourageDeathFearLifeBravery
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speaker might use this quote to encourage an audience to confront their fears.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
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Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
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Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
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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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