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
He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument.
Interpretation
The quote humorously suggests that someone's elaborate speech often lacks substantial content.
In this quote, William Shakespeare critiques individuals who speak at great length without saying anything meaningful. It highlights the tendency of some people to dress their arguments in excessive language, making them seem more important than they actually are, thereby emphasizing the importance of clarity and substance over mere verbosity.
In practice
In a debate about public speaking, one might mention Shakespeare's quote to illustrate the importance of clear communication.
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).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
Laugh...It's the sweetest thing one can do for oneself and one's fellow human beings.
My brother Billy was the joke teller. My brother Jim had a really sharp, cutting wit. And the teller of long stories, that was my brother Ed. As a child, I just absorbed everything they said, and I was always in competition for the laughs.
You may be sure that the Americans will commit all the stupidities they can think of, plus some that are beyond imagination.
There are two or three ways to combat homophobia - one is through humor. The second is to put a face on it.
Well, if I am not drunk, I am mad," replied Syme with perfect calm; "but I trust I can behave like a gentleman in either condition.
As a black man, I actually had naturally sort of comedic curiosity about the Klan.
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