Skip to content

Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but…

“Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win.” quote by William Shakespeare
Download Open image
“Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win.”

William Shakespeare

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Greatness requires ambition, but unchecked desire can corrupt and lead to false victories.

In simple terms: Ambition needs balance to avoid corruption.

Key Takeaway

Pursue goals with integrity.

Themes

ambition integrity corruption power ethics

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

  • career advancement
  • political leadership
  • personal ambition
  • creative projects

Key Concepts

Moral philosophy human nature political ambition

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you keep ambition aligned with ethics?
  • What safeguards prevent misuse of power?
A Different Perspective

Ambition can blind judgment and cause unethical shortcuts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet
Art

More by William Shakespeare

Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes

More Art quotes

Browse all 48,643 Art quotes