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 quality of mercy is not strained
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mercy is a natural and free act, not forced or constrained.
In this quote by Shakespeare, the speaker emphasizes that true mercy should come without coercion or requirement. It suggests that acts of kindness or compassion are most meaningful when they are given freely, reflecting the true nature of humanity and moral integrity. The aesthetic quality of mercy is likened to gentle rain, which falls upon both the just and unjust alike, illustrating the universal and unforced nature of true mercy.
Themes
MercyCompassionKindnessMoralityHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During discussions about justice, one might invoke this quote to highlight the importance of mercy in legal systems.
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
I have no doubt concerning that Supreme Goodness, who is so eager to share His blessings, or of that everlasting love which makes Him more eager to bestow perfection on us than we are to receive it.
Saint IgnatiusRead
We were all fated to die, and so it is good that at least we can be sure our deaths today might bring about a good end, might make the world a better place.
Orson Scott CardRead
Every great thinker is someone else's moron.
Umberto EcoRead
If more Africans had eaten missionaries, the continent would be in better shape.
Maya AngelouRead
If we leave our smells behind us when we leave a room, surely something of our souls must remain when we leave this life?" - Qyburn
George R. R. MartinRead
The religions that fascinate me and, you know, could possibly tempt me are not the ones that involve faith or belief. They're the ones that offer you the opportunity to know the spirit or deity.
Barbara EhrenreichRead