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
Come away, come away, death,_x000D_ _x000D_ And in sad cypres let me be laid;_x000D_ _x000D_ Fly away, fly away, breath;_x000D_ _x000D_ I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses deep sorrow and the longing for death due to unrequited love.
In this poignant excerpt from Shakespeare's work, the speaker laments the emotional pain caused by a beautiful yet unkind lover. The imagery of death and the somber cypress tree symbolizes the despair and heartache that love can bring, particularly when it is unreturned or results in suffering.
Themes
LoveHeartbreakDeathLongingSadness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a drama to depict a character's emotional turmoil after a breakup.
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