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
Love is merely a madness, and, I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Love can drive people to irrational behaviors, often resembling madness.
In this quote, Shakespeare suggests that love can be a form of madness, characterized by irrationality and emotional turmoil. Just as society may lock away those who are mad, Shakespeare implies that love too can lead individuals into dark and turbulent emotional states, meriting control or restraint to navigate its challenges.
Themes
LoveMadnessEmotionRelationshipsIrrationality
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the complexities of romantic relationships.
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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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