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
Your face is a book, where men may read strange matters.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that one's facial expressions reveal their inner thoughts and emotions.
In this quote by William Shakespeare, the comparison of the face to a book implies that people's emotions and experiences can be read and understood through their expressions. It highlights the idea that non-verbal communication is a vital part of human interaction, where our faces serve as windows to our innermost feelings and thoughts, allowing others to perceive our 'strange matters.'
Themes
ExpressionEmotionCommunicationThoughtsFacial Expressions
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about emotional intelligence, one might quote Shakespeare to illustrate the importance of non-verbal cues.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
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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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