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
Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears: But yet It is our trick; nature her custom holds, Let shame say what it will: when these are gone, The woman will be out. β Adieu, my lord! I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, But that this folly drowns it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle between emotional expression and societal expectations.
In this quote from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', the speaker conveys a deep internal conflict between the desire to express grief and the pressure to suppress emotions due to social conventions. It illustrates the complexity of human nature, where one feels compelled to hide true feelings while grappling with the weight of societal judgment, highlighting the intricate relationship between identity, emotion, and societal norms.
Themes
EmotionSocietyExpressionConflictNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming societal barriers, one might quote this to emphasize the challenge of expressing one's true self.
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