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
There live not three good men unhanged in England; and one of them is fat and grows old.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously suggests that good men are rare and implies that those who are good may also be flawed or burdened by age.
In this quote, Shakespeare uses wit to express the notion that virtuous individuals are few and far between, with the added irony that the remaining 'good' men may not be perfect themselves. The remark lightens the gravity of the subject by introducing a humorous observation about morality and the human condition, hinting at the complexities of goodness as people grow old.
Themes
GoodnessHumorMoralityAgeWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of virtue in society.
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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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