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
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.
Interpretation
Life can often seem chaotic and meaningless, despite its noise and turmoil.
This quote by Shakespeare reflects on the idea that much of what occurs in life may appear grand and tumultuous but ultimately lacks real significance. It emphasizes the futility of existence and questions the meaning behind human experiences, suggesting that despite the noise (or chaos) of life, it may all lead to an empty conclusion devoid of true value.
In practice
During a philosophical discussion on the meaning of life.
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.
The soul at its highest is found like God, but an angel gives a closer idea of Him. That is all an angel is: an idea of God.
'Therefore' is a word the poet must not know.
With Christ, it is not how much we give, but what we do not give that is the real test.
People say we need religion when what they really mean is we need police.
The improvement of life was only accomplished to the extent to which it was based on a change of consciousness, that is, to the extent to which the law of violence was replaced in men's consciousness by the law of love.
When people get rich, they cut themselves off from the context that has earned them these riches - the context of the common men. They forget they are part of society.
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