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
Alas, their love may be call'd appetite. No motion of the liver, but the palate
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that some forms of love are merely physical desire rather than true affection.
In this quote, Shakespeare explores the idea that certain expressions of love may not stem from genuine emotional connection but rather from physical attraction or desire. It contrasts the depth of true love with superficial urges that lack emotional substance, emphasizing the distinction between genuine feelings and mere physical appetites.
Themes
LoveDesireEmotionAppetiteConnection
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the difference between physical attraction and true love.
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
True love blooms when we care more about another person than we care about ourselves. That is Christ's great atoning example for us, and it ought to be more evident in the kindness we show, the respect we give, and the selflessness and courtesy we employ in our personal relationships.
Jeffrey R. HollandRead
Love can consign us to hell or to paradise, but it always takes us somewhere.
Paulo CoelhoRead
Jill told me that when you're really in love, you know right away. I'm not exactly sure how this happens. Is it like a flash of lightning? Like an angel tapping you on the shoulder? Or is it similar to choosing a puppy? You think you're picking the cutest one, but really you wind up going home with the one who keeps insisting on climbing into your lap.
Alice HoffmanRead
But that afternoon he asked himself, with his infinite capacity for illusion, if such pitiless indifference might not be a subterfuge for hiding the torments of love.
Gabriel Garcia MarquezRead
To fear is to expect punishment. To love is to know we are immersed not in darkness, but in light.
Mother TeresaRead
Without love, all worship is a burden, all dancing is a chore, all music is mere noise.
RumiRead