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
She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed; She is a woman, therefore to be won.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the idea that beauty attracts attention, and women may be sought for both admiration and affection.
In this quote, Shakespeare highlights the dual nature of a woman's beauty and essence. He suggests that a woman's beauty makes her an object of desire, prompting pursuit ('to be wooed'), while acknowledging her identity and the need for deeper connection and emotional resonance that comes with nurturing a relationship ('to be won'). It reflects the dynamics of romantic interactions and the importance of both attraction and emotional engagement.
Themes
BeautyLoveWomanDesireRomance
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding speech, to describe the beauty and charm of the bride.
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'll take a rusty nail and scratch your initials on my arm.
Tom WaitsRead
I want to let her know though that all the nights sleeping beside her even the useless arguments were things ever splendid and the hard words I ever feared to say can now be said: I love you.
Charles BukowskiRead
There are as many loves as there are hearts.
Leo TolstoyRead
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Khalil GibranRead
Consider God's charity. Where else have we ever seen someone who has been offended voluntarily paying out his life for those who have offended him?
St. Catherine Of SienaRead
It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.
Dag HammarskjoldRead