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
By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death will seize the doctor too.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the inevitability of death, emphasizing that even those who help others live longer cannot escape their own mortality.
In this poignant quote, William Shakespeare highlights the transient nature of life and the universal truth that death ultimately comes for everyone, regardless of their role or profession. The notion that a doctor, who extends the lives of others through medicine, is not exempt from death serves as a reminder of our shared human experience and the limits of human effort in the face of mortality.
Themes
LifeDeathMortalityMedicineHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a eulogy to emphasize the shared fate of all humans.
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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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