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 is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit
Interpretation
What this quote means
Love can lead people to overlook their partner's faults.
This quote by William Shakespeare highlights the idea that when people are in love, they often become oblivious to their partner's shortcomings and mistakes. The intense emotions and affection can cloud their judgment, making them unable to recognize the trivial errors or foolish behaviors they or their partner may commit in the course of their relationship. This blindness can either be seen as a hallmark of romantic love or a cautionary note about the potential pitfalls of infatuation.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding speech, one might say, 'As Shakespeare said, love is blind, reminding us that our affection often makes us overlook each other's quirks.'
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove 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.
Similar quotes
She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes.
Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.
Your heart is like a great river after a long spell of rain, spilling over its banks. All signposts that once stood on the ground are gone, inundated and carried away by that rush of water. And still the rain beats down on the surface of the river. Every time you see a flood like that on the news you tell yourself: Thatβs it. Thatβs my heart.
In the very depths of Hell, do not demons love one another?
Jesus wanted to show us his heart as the heart that loved so deeply. For this reason we have this commemoration today, especially of God's love. God loved us, he loved us with such great love. I am thinking of what St Ignatius told us.... He pointed out two criteria on love. The first: love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: there is greater love in giving than in receiving.
The whole truth... sings only - and all lovers are the song.