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
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.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of virtue in society.
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).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
Many people would no more think of entering journalism than the sewage business - which at least does us all some good.
Comedy is to force us to observe ourselves in ways that are humorous and yet, at the end of the day, that cause us enough discomfort with the status quo to make a change.
If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep.
The only bright spot in the entire evening was the presence of Kevin "Tubby" Matchwell, the eleven-year-old porker who tackled the role of Santa with a beguiling authenticity. The false beard tended to muffle his speech, but they could hear his chafing thighs all the way to the North Pole.
When you are honest in your comedy, you have to acknowledge the world that you're in. Through a comedic voice, you're talking about what needs to be talked about, whether it's race relations or politics or anything that's happening on a global or an American scale.
Dwarves are still the butt of jokes. It's one of the last bastions of acceptable prejudice.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.