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
As he was valiant, I honour him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Honoring someone's bravery while acknowledging that their ambition led to their downfall.
This quote reflects the complex nature of human qualities, particularly bravery and ambition. It emphasizes the idea that while we may respect and honor those who exhibit courage, we must also be wary of ambition, which can lead to destructive actions and consequences. Shakespeare presents a nuanced view of character, illustrating how the virtues and vices of individuals can coexist and ultimately influence their fate.
Themes
HonorAmbitionValiantSlayCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the duality of human nature in literature.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
To be perfectly just is an attribute of the divine nature; to be so to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of man.
Joseph AddisonRead
Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss, he promises life, and pays with death. But God pays as he promises; all his payments are made in pure gold.
Thomas BrooksRead
The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity by contributing to the establishment of the kingdom of God, which can only be done by the recognition and profession of the truth by every man.
Leo TolstoyRead
You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean.
Alan WattsRead
I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it's a very poor scheme for survival.
Kurt VonnegutRead
It is impossible that there should be inhabitants on the opposite side of the Earth, since no such race is recorded by Scripture among the descendants of Adam.
Saint AugustineRead