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
I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of knowing one's limits and the distinction between bravery and recklessness.
In this quote, Shakespeare expresses the idea that true courage is about understanding the appropriate limits of one's actions. A man should strive to act in a way that is noble and fitting, but overstepping those bounds often leads to one's downfall. The essence of manhood lies in the balance between bravery and wisdom, suggesting that one must not confuse daring deeds with true virtue.
In practice
During a motivational speech to encourage students to pursue their dreams.
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.
If we have the courage and tenacity of our forebears, who stood firmly like a rock against the lash of slavery, we shall find a way to do for our day what they did for theirs.
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
I bear the wounds of all the battles I avoided.
Now I can say loudly and openly what I have been saying to myself on my knees.
I became a firefighter because I wanted to save people. But I should have been more specific. I should have named names.
Patience, that blending of moral courage with physical timidity.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.