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
To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
External beauty is a gift, but the ability to read and write is a natural talent.
This quote by William Shakespeare emphasizes the distinction between gifts bestowed by fortune, such as physical attractiveness, and innate abilities like literacy. While being well-favored may provide certain advantages in life, the true value lies in the fundamental skills of reading and writing, which are essential for personal expression and communication.
Themes
ReadingWritingLiteracyFortuneEducation
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of education, one might say, 'As Shakespeare wisely noted, to be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature.'
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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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Students now arrive at the university ignorant and cynical about our political heritage, lacking the wherewithal to be either inspired by it or seriously critical of it.
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