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
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the folly and irrationality of human behavior.
In this quote from Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', the speaker is commenting on the ridiculousness of human actions and the often foolish decisions people make in love and life. It evokes a sense of irony about the nature of humanity, suggesting that people frequently act without wisdom or foresight, often leading to chaos and misunderstandings.
Themes
FoolsMortalsHumanityFollyWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about human behavior, one might say, 'As Shakespeare wisely pointed out, Lord, what fools these mortals be!'
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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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