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
He hath not eat paper, as it were; he hath not drunk ink; his intellect is not replenished; he is only an animal, only sensible in the duller parts. (Shakespeare, Love's Labor's Lost, IV)
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that lacking education or intellectual nourishment makes one less than fully human, reducing them to mere animalistic instincts.
In this quote from Shakespeare's 'Love's Labor's Lost', the speaker criticizes someone for their lack of intellectual growth and knowledge, implying that without engaging with literature and ideas, a person cannot reach their full potential. The metaphor of not having 'eaten paper' or 'drunk ink' represents a failure to consume knowledge and thus to develop intellectually. This line reflects the belief that one's humanity is tied to one's intelligence and capacity for abstract thought.
Themes
EducationIntellectKnowledgeWisdomHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about the importance of education in personal development.
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