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 told her, while she kept it, 'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love, but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father's eye Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt After new fancies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that a woman's beauty and charm can captivate a man, but losing it may turn his affections away.
In this quote, Shakespeare explores the idea of love and attraction, indicating that a woman's ability to win a man's heart is connected to her maintaining certain qualities or possessions that he finds alluring. If she were to lose these qualities or choices, the man's affection would wane, suggesting that love can be contingent upon external factors and the perceived value of one's self.
Themes
LoveAffectionsBeautyCharmAttraction
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of romantic relationships, one might quote this to illustrate how love can be influenced by external circumstances.
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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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