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
she shall scant show well that now shows best.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that those who are truly beautiful or virtuous may not always outwardly display their qualities.
In this quote by Shakespeare, the idea is that real beauty or worth is often understated or subtle, implying that those who seem to show their best qualities may not be as genuine as those who are modest about their virtues. It highlights the complexity of human nature and the tendency to overlook the depth of character in favor of surface appearances.
In practice
During a discussion on beauty in literature, one might quote Shakespeare to illustrate the idea that true charm is often hidden.
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.
That deepest thing, that recognition, that knowledge, that sense of kinship began the first time I saw you,and it is the same now - only a thousand times deeper and tenderer. I shall love you to eternity. I loved you long before we met in this flesh. I knew that when I first saw you. It was destiny. We are together like this and nothing can shake us apart.
Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.
There are too many souls of wood not to love those wooden characters who do indeed have a soul.
My vocation, at last I have found it; my vocation is love.
An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.
There is always some madness in love.
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