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 glooming peace this morning with it brings; The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head: Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the tragic nature of love and loss.
In this closing line of 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare conveys the deep sorrow and melancholy that follows the tragic events, indicating that even in moments of peace, the pain of loss prevails. The sun, which typically symbolizes hope and joy, refuses to shine, emphasizing the overwhelming grief that envelops the story of the star-crossed lovers.
In practice
A speaker at a memorial service might quote this to emphasize the pain of loss in loving relationships.
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).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
He who desires to see the living God face-to-face should not seek him in the empty, firmament of his mind, but in human love.
Love is the world's infinite mutability; lies, hatred, murder even, are all knit up in it; it is the inevitable blossoming of its opposites, a magnificent rose smelling faintly of blood.
God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way.
Love is a striking example of how little reality means to us.
Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.
Love only what befalls you and is spun for you by fate.
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