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
The quality of mercy is not strained
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mercy is a natural and free act, not forced or constrained.
In this quote by Shakespeare, the speaker emphasizes that true mercy should come without coercion or requirement. It suggests that acts of kindness or compassion are most meaningful when they are given freely, reflecting the true nature of humanity and moral integrity. The aesthetic quality of mercy is likened to gentle rain, which falls upon both the just and unjust alike, illustrating the universal and unforced nature of true mercy.
Themes
MercyCompassionKindnessMoralityHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During discussions about justice, one might invoke this quote to highlight the importance of mercy in legal systems.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
Human pride and egoism always create divisions, build walls of indifference, hate and violence. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, makes hearts capable of understanding the languages of all, as he re-establishes the bridge of authentic communication between earth and Heaven.
Pope Benedict XviRead
... at the beginning of the human race the woman was made of a rib taken from the side of the man while he slept; for it seemed fit that even then Christ and His Church should be foreshadowed in this event. For that sleep of the man was the death of Christ, whose side, as He hung lifeless upon the Cross, was pierced with a spear, and there flowed from it blood and water, and these we know to be the sacraments by which the Church is built up.
Saint AugustineRead
National events determine our ideals, as much as our ideals determine national events.
Jane AddamsRead
We need language to tell us who we are, how we feel, what we're capable of- to explain the pains and glory of our existence.
Maya AngelouRead
I am but a small pencil in the hand of a writing God
Mother TeresaRead
Everything trends towards catastrophe & collapse. I am interested, geared up & happy. Is it not horrible to be built like that?
Winston ChurchillRead