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
When remedies are past, the griefs are ended By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. To mourn a mischief that is past and gone Is the next way to draw new mischief on. What cannot be preserved when fortune takes, Patience her injury a mockery makes. The robb'd that smiles steals something for the thief; He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the futility of mourning over past grievances and encourages moving forward.
In this passage, Shakespeare conveys the idea that dwelling on past misfortunes only prolongs pain and prevents healing. He suggests that accepting what cannot be changed and practicing patience is vital for regaining peace, as lamenting lost opportunities or tragedies serves only to invite further sorrow and leads to self-inflicted suffering.
Themes
GriefPatienceMischiefFortuneRemedies
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about resilience, one might say, 'As Shakespeare reminds us, to mourn a mischief that is past and gone is to invite further sorrow.'
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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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