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
I like not fair terms and a villain's mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses a disdain for superficial agreements and ill-intent in human interactions.
In this quote, William Shakespeare critiques the idea of making superficial agreements or being wantonly agreeable with those who harbor malevolent intentions. It underscores the importance of integrity and authenticity over mere appearances, suggesting that aligning oneself with deceptive individuals leads to moral corruption and a loss of self-respect.
Themes
IntegrityAuthenticityDeceptionEvilSuperficiality
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on honesty in business, one might say, 'As Shakespeare said, I like not fair terms and a villain's mind.'
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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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