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Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And, melting, Heavens conspir'd his overthrow.
Christopher Marlowe
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote warns against the dangers of hubris and overreaching ambition.

In this quote from Christopher Marlowe, the metaphor of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with his waxen wings, serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of excessive pride and ambition. It suggests that being too confident in one's abilities may lead to downfall, as external forces or one's own limitations can conspire to bring about a tragic end.

Themes

HubrisAmbitionCautionPrideDownfall

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a motivational speech about the importance of humility.

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