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
I can see he's not in your good books,' said the messenger. 'No, and if he were I would burn my library.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a strong disdain for someone and places a high value on knowledge and literature.
In this quote, Shakespeare's character expresses a strong sentiment against valuing someone who is not held in esteem, to the point of suggesting that they would destroy their own library rather than associate with that individual. This highlights the importance of personal values and intellectual pursuits over social connections, emphasizing how one's principles can outweigh the desire for approval or relationships.
Themes
BooksKnowledgeDisdainPrinciplesLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the value of literature in one's life.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of God.
Haile SelassieRead
I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.
Henry RollinsRead
We believe in resolving all disputes peacefully.
Atal Bihari VajpayeeRead
I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world.
Rainer Maria RilkeRead
We do not wish to enter Heaven until our work is done, for it would make us uneasy if there were one single soul left to be saved by our means.
Charles SpurgeonRead
Properly speaking, all true work is religion.
Thomas CarlyleRead