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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.
William Shakespeare
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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.

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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