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 nun of winter's sisterhood kisses not more religiously; the very ice of chastity is in them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests a deep, pure, and religious love, analogous to the sisterhood of nuns and the cold beauty of winter.
Shakespeare employs beautiful imagery to illustrate a kind of love that is profoundly innocent and pure, akin to the frigid yet captivating beauty of winter. The comparison to a nun's devotion underscores the sanctity of this love, emphasizing that even the coldness of chastity can contain a profound sense of affection and reverence.
Themes
LovePurityChastityDevotionWinter
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding speech to emphasize the purity of their love.
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