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
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that people's success can come from immoral actions, while good deeds may lead to their downfall.
In this quote, Shakespeare reflects on the complexities of human morality and the consequences of one's actions. It implies that individuals may achieve success through unethical means (rising by sin), while those who act virtuously may experience failure or misfortune, challenging the traditional notion that moral goodness always leads to positive outcomes. This observation prompts a deeper consideration of justice, fate, and the paradoxes of life.
Themes
MoralityConsequencesSuccessVirtueSin
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical dilemmas in business, this quote can illustrate how unethical practices can lead to success.
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
Try to understand the ego. Analyze it, dissect it, watch it, observe it, from as many angles as possible. And don't be in a hurry to sacrifice it, otherwise the greatest egoist is born: the person who thinks he is humble, the person who thinks that he has no ego.
RajneeshRead
Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing one option reduces you to the parameters of that choice. Thus, in knowing my possibilities, I also knew my limitations.
Rolf PottsRead
People are not wrong in observing Caste. In my view, what is wrong is their religion, which has inculcated this notion of Caste. If this is correct, then obviously the enemy, you must grapple with is not the people who observe Caste, but the Shastras which teach them this religion of Caste.
B. R. AmbedkarRead
The scientists who attack mainstream religion, rather than striving for peaceful coexistence with it, damage science, and also weaken the fight against fundamentalism.
Martin ReesRead
It struck me that distant cities are designed precisely so you can know where you came from.
Colum MccannRead
I preach there are all kinds of truth, your truth and somebody else's. But behind all of them there is only one truth and that is that there's no truth.
Flannery O'ConnorRead