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
Fare thee well, king: sith thus thou wilt appear, Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea that the departure of a ruler or king signifies both a loss of freedom and a sense of exile.
In this quote from Shakespeare, the speaker addresses a king, lamenting that his departure marks the end of freedom for the people, as his rule is associated with their autonomy and well-being. The sentiment captures the deep connection between governance and liberty, suggesting that a ruler's absence brings about banishmentβnot only in the physical sense but also in terms of the people's rights and freedoms.
Themes
FreedomKingBanishmentRuleGovernance
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of political engagement, one might reference this quote to emphasize the consequences of losing a leader.
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For those who know the value of and exquisite taste of solitary freedom (for one is only free when alone), the act of leaving is the bravest and most beautiful of all.
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Please use your freedom to promote ours.
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It's certainly not too late to change to the winning side. But you know, you also have the freedom to stay just where you are. That's what it means to be an American. That's the miracle of America. Freedom to believe means the freedom to believe the wrong thing, after all. Just as freedom of speech gives you the right to stay silent.
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Freedom is something that dies unless it's used.
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Freedom conceives that the mind and spirit of man can be free only if he is free to pattern his own life, to develop his own talents, free to earn, to spend, to save, to acquire property as the security of his old age and his family.
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