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
A miracle. Here's our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but by this light I take thee for pity. Beatrice: I would not deny you, but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption. Benedick: Peace. I will stop your mouth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the complexities of love and compassion in relationships.
In this exchange between Beatrice and Benedick from Shakespeare's play, the characters reveal their true feelings intertwined with a sense of pity. Beatrice acknowledges her reluctance but is swayed by compassion for Benedick, showcasing how love can be motivated by both genuine affection and external circumstances.
Themes
LovePityRelationshipCompassionSacrifice
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a romantic setting to highlight the delicate balance of love and compassion.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes →Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
It's very difficult for me to say 'I love you' but to sing 'I love you' for me is easier.
Neil DiamondRead
You have me like a drawing, erased, coloured in, untitled, signed by your tongue.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
It is a beautiful trait in the lover's character, that they think no evil of the object loved.
Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead
i know someday you'll have a beautiful life. I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky. But why can't it be mine?
Eddie VedderRead
I need to feel strongly, to love and admire, just as desperately as I need to breathe.
Jean-Dominique BaubyRead
Now they are a circle, and they vibrate together, they pulsate together. Their hearts are no longer separate, their beats are no longer separate, they have become a melody, a harmony. It is the greatest music possible, all other musics are just faint things compared to it, shadow things compared to it.
RajneeshRead