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
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the discordance between reason and emotion, suggesting that our rational thoughts can sometimes be unpleasantly intertwined with chaotic feelings.
In this quote, Shakespeare illustrates the struggle between reason and the chaotic nature of emotions. By comparing reason to 'sweet bells jangled,' he conveys the idea that while reason is inherently noble and essential, it can become dissonant and harsh when influenced by tumultuous emotions, much like music that is out of tune. This speaks to the human experience of having our rational thoughts disrupted by feelings that cloud or distort our understanding.
Themes
ReasonEmotionChaosDisorderPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about emotional intelligence, one might quote this to illustrate the conflict between rational thought and feelings.
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