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
Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that one should be cautious in trusting others, especially in matters of love and relationships.
In this quote from Shakespeare's Othello, the speaker warns Othello about Desdemona's potential deceit, citing her previous trickery with her father. It underscores a theme of mistrust and betrayal in relationships and serves as a cautionary reminder that appearances can be deceptive, particularly in emotional ties.
In practice
During a discussion on trust in relationships, one might quote this to illustrate the potential for deception.
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.
Just like children, emotions heal when they are heard and validated.
We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.
Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide
One of the ways we communicate that we can be trusted is in the way we care for other people.
But maybe a man was nothing but a man, which is what Baby Suggs always said. They encouraged you to put some of your weight in their hands and soon as you felt how light and lovely that was, they studied your scars and tribulations, after which they did what he had done: ran her children out and tore up the house. [...] A man ain't nothing but a man,' said Baby Suggs. 'But a son? Well now, that's somebody.
The best way to get along with people is not to expect them to be like you.
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