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
Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the idea that someone is deceptive, contrasting the purity of heaven with the treachery of hell.
In this quote, Shakespeare uses the imagery of heaven and hell to emphasize the stark contrast between truth and deception. The phrase suggests that divine understanding reveals the false nature of a person, implying that their dishonesty is as evident and sinister as the nature of hell itself. It reflects a deep moral perspective on truthfulness and the consequences of deceit.
Themes
FalsehoodDeceptionTruthMoralityJudgment
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about integrity, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of honesty.
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