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Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.
William Shakespeare
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects the idea that while pain may not seem severe, it is still significant enough to be acknowledged.

In this exchange between Romeo and Mercutio from Shakespeare's play, Mercutio tries to diminish the seriousness of his injuries with a touch of humor. He notes that although the wounds are not extreme, they are still impactful, implying that even minor wounds can lead to deeper reflections on mortality and life's fragility. His response uses wit to cope with the pain, revealing a courageous spirit in the face of adversity.

Themes

CouragePainHumorLifeMortality

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about resilience after setbacks, one might quote this to highlight the importance of facing challenges with humor and courage.

More from William Shakespeare

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).
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Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
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Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
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Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
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Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
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