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
That thou art blamed shall not be thy defect,_x000D_ _x000D_ For slander's mark was ever yet the fair;_x000D_ _x000D_ The ornament of beauty is suspect,_x000D_ _x000D_ A crow that flies in heaven's sweetest air.
Interpretation
What this quote means
It suggests that being blamed by others does not diminish one's worth or beauty.
In this quote, Shakespeare conveys the idea that external judgments or slander do not diminish a person's intrinsic beauty or value. The metaphor of a crow flying in the heavens suggests that even in the presence of beauty, there may be elements of doubt or suspicion, but this should not affect the individual’s self-worth or essence.
Themes
BlameBeautySlanderSelf-WorthCriticism
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of beauty and society's judgments, one could quote this to emphasize self-acceptance.
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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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