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
The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Imagination is a powerful force that connects diverse aspects of human experience.
In this quote, Shakespeare highlights the deep connection between seemingly disparate states of mindβmadness, love, and artistic expression. He suggests that all three are rooted in imagination, illustrating how creativity can blur the lines between sanity and insanity, desire and devotion, making them all integral parts of the human experience.
Themes
ImaginationMadnessLovePoetryCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of creativity in life, this quote can be used to illustrate how imagination shapes our experiences.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
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Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
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Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
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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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