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
ROMEO There is thy gold, worse poison to men's souls, Doing more murders in this loathsome world, Than these poor compounds that thou mayst not sell. I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none. Farewell: buy food, and get thyself in flesh. Come, cordial and not poison, go with me To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the destructive nature of greed and the moral dilemmas tied to human desires.
In this excerpt from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo reflects on the corrupting power of greed, suggesting that the gold he offers is more poisonous to people's souls than the literal poison he seeks. It speaks to the idea that wealth and material desires can lead to moral decay and violence, suggesting that the true danger lies not in the objects people sell, but in the intentions and consequences behind those desires.
Themes
GreedPoisonMoneyMoralityDesire
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the dangers of materialism, one might quote this to emphasize the moral consequences of greed.
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