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 can see he's not in your good books,' said the messenger. 'No, and if he were I would burn my library.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a strong disdain for someone and places a high value on knowledge and literature.
In this quote, Shakespeare's character expresses a strong sentiment against valuing someone who is not held in esteem, to the point of suggesting that they would destroy their own library rather than associate with that individual. This highlights the importance of personal values and intellectual pursuits over social connections, emphasizing how one's principles can outweigh the desire for approval or relationships.
Themes
BooksKnowledgeDisdainPrinciplesLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the value of literature in one's life.
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
But, alas! what poor Woman is ever taught that she should have a higher Design than to get her a Husband?
Mary AstellRead
No matter what we call it, poison is still poison, death is still death, and industrial civilization is still causing the greatest mass extinction in the history of the planet.
Derrick JensenRead
The gospel cannot be truly preached without offense and tumult.
Martin LutherRead
Men think they think upon the great political questions, and they do; but they think with their party, not independently; they read its literature, but not that of the other side
Mark TwainRead
The integral approach is committed to the full spectrum of consciousness as it manifests in all its extraordinary diversity. This allows the integral approach to recognize and honor the Great Holarchy of Being first elucidated by the perennial philosophy and the great wisdom traditions in general... The integral vision embodies an attempt to take the best of both worlds, ancient and modern. But that demands a critical stance willing to reject unflinchingly the worst of both as well.
Ken WilberRead
We save the world by being alive ourselves.
Joseph CampbellRead