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 must be cruel, only to be kind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Sometimes being harsh is necessary for the greater good.
This quote from Shakespeare suggests that in certain situations, one may need to act with apparent cruelty in order to ultimately benefit another person. It reflects the idea that tough love and difficult actions can lead to positive outcomes, emphasizing the complexity of human relationships and moral choices.
Themes
CrueltyKindnessRelationshipsLoveMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about tough decision-making, one might quote Shakespeare to illustrate the necessity of hard choices.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
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Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
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Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
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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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