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
O mischief, thou art swift to enter in the thoughts of desperate men!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote conveys how the thoughts of desperate individuals can quickly lead to mischief and trouble.
In this quote, Shakespeare reflects on the nature of desperation and how it can cloud judgment, leading individuals toward reckless and harmful actions. When people are in desperate situations, their minds may turn to mischievous or ill-conceived plans as a way to cope or escape their circumstances, illustrating the dangers of despair and impulsive thinking.
Themes
DesperationMischiefThoughtsDangerTrouble
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the effects of stress on decision-making.
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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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It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw, But rather a garden forever in bloom and a flock of angels forever in flight.
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Primroses and landscapes, he pointed out, have one grave defect: they are gratuitous. A love of nature keeps no factories busy. It was decided to abolish the love of nature, at any rate among the lower classes. . . . it was essential that they should keep on going to the country, even though they hated it.
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There isn't any me. I'm you. Don't make up a separate me.
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