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
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art as black as hell, as dark as night.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker expresses a deep contradictory feeling of love entwined with a dark perception of the beloved.
In this quote from Shakespeare, the speaker reflects on the complexities of love, feeling both admiration and the presence of darkness in their beloved. This duality emphasizes how love can encompass both beauty and struggle, illustrating the deep emotional turmoil that often accompanies passionate relationships.
Themes
LoveDarknessContradictionEmotionPassion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a romantic speech to illustrate the complexities of love.
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