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
Then others for breath of words respect, Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the value of thoughts over mere words.
In this quote, Shakespeare draws a distinction between the superficiality of spoken words and the deeper significance of unspoken thoughts. He suggests that those who use language for the sake of sounding clever may receive respect, but he seeks appreciation for the profound implications of his silent reflections, which often convey more meaning than what is articulated verbally.
Themes
ThoughtsWordsCommunicationRespectSilence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the depth of understanding in relationships, this quote can illustrate the importance of underlying thoughts over spoken words.
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
So virtue is a purposive disposition, lying in a mean that is relative to us and determined by a rational principle, and by that which a prudent man would use to determine it. It is a mean between two kinds of vice, one of excess and the other of deficiency.
AristotleRead
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! _x000D_ My sin, not in part but the whole, _x000D_ Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, _x000D_ Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Horatio SpaffordRead
I have tried to lift France out of the mud. But she will return to her errors and vomitings. I cannot prevent the French from being French.
Charles De GaulleRead
For what concerns diversity of rites in the sacred liturgy, the Apostolic See has always made its position clear: not only it does not condemn diversity, but it eagerly and willingly grants to each nation the right to keep and preserve the legitimate customs and traditions of its forbears.
Pope Leo XiiiRead
She had so mastered the strategies of camouflage that her own history had seemed a series of well-placed mirrors that kept her hidden from herself.
Pat ConroyRead
I have no illusions concerning the precarious status of my tales and do not expect to become a serious competitor of my favorite weird authors.
H. P. LovecraftRead