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
When holy and devout religious men are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence; so sweet is zealous contemplation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the deep joy and fulfillment that comes from sincere religious devotion and contemplation.
In this quote, Shakespeare reflects on the profound satisfaction experienced by devout individuals when engaging in prayer and spiritual contemplation. The phrase illustrates how this sacred practice can be so engrossing and fulfilling that it becomes difficult to distract or pull such individuals away from their spiritual focus, emphasizing the value of devotion in one's life.
Themes
DevotionContemplationReligionSpiritualityPeace
In practice
Example use cases
In a church service, a pastor might quote this to inspire the congregation to embrace the power of prayer.
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