This she? no, this is Diomed's Cressida: If beauty have a…
““This she? no, this is Diomed's Cressida: If beauty have a soul, this is not she; If souls guide vows, if vows be sanctimonies, If sanctimony be the gods' delight, If there be rule in unity itself, This is not she. O madness of discourse, That cause sets up with and against itself! Bi-fold authority! where reason can revolt Without perdition, and loss assume all reason Without revolt: this is, and is not, Cressid. Within my soul there doth conduce a fight Of this strange nature that a thing inseparate Divides more wider than the sky and earth, And yet the spacious breadth of this division Admits no orifex for a point as subtle As Ariachne's broken woof to enter. Instance, O instance! strong as Pluto's gates; Cressid is mine, tied with the bonds of heaven: Instance, O instance! strong as heaven itself; The bonds of heaven are slipp'd, dissolved, and loosed; And with another knot, five-finger-tied, The fractions of her faith, orts of her love, The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics Of her o'er-eaten faith, are bound to Diomed.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker argues that love and identity are paradoxical, existing both as and not, defying logical categorization.
In simple terms: Love is both present and absent, defying reason.
Key Takeaway
Accept love’s contradictions.
Themes
love
identity
paradox
logic
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- relationship counseling
- creative writing
- theatrical performance
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
philosophy
poetry
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do contradictions shape personal identity?
- Can love be rationalized?
A Different Perspective
It may be too abstract for practical use.