--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She should have read the damned play. She…" description: "\"“She should have read the damned play. She should have spent hours reading Shakespeare. The duke was making literature sound a lot more interesting tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/eloisa-james-1659_books_she-should-have-read-the-damned-play-she_1801764.png" --- # She should have read the damned play. She should have… ![“She should have read the damned play. She should have spent hours reading Shakespeare. The duke was making literature sound a lot more interesting than her governess had ever done.” quote by Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/eloisa-james-1659_books_she-should-have-read-the-damned-play-she_1801764.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/eloisa-james-1659_books_she-should-have-read-the-damned-play-she_1801764.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/eloisa-james-1659_books_she-should-have-read-the-damned-play-she_1801764.png) > ““She should have read the damned play. She should have spent hours reading Shakespeare. The duke was making literature sound a lot more interesting than her governess had ever done.”” [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The protagonist’s disdain for superficial education underscores the value of deep literary engagement over shallow cultural expectations. **In simple terms:** She prefers real literature to shallow expectations. Key Takeaway Seek authentic learning over status symbols. Themes education literature class gender Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical literary When to use this quote - school curricula - social gatherings - personal development Key Concepts cultural critique intellectualism identity Questions to Reflect On - Why do we value certain cultural knowledge over others? - How can we balance depth with accessibility? A Different Perspective Emphasizing highbrow literature may alienate those with different tastes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-shakespeare/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) ## Related quotes > [Reading Shakespeare is sometimes like looking through a window into a dark room. You don't see in. 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Shakespeare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/shakespeares-mother-said-to-him-you-are-very-weak-in-english-if-you/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I grew up reading Shakespeare and Mark Twain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/i-grew-up-reading-shakespeare-and-mark-twain/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [I read everything by Ian McEwan, he is so elegant. I love reading anything about Shakespeare, too. He is my first love. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-fleetwood/i-read-everything-by-ian-mcewan-he-is-so-elegant-i-love-reading/) [Kate Fleetwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-fleetwood/) > [I think reading Shakespeare's plays when I was young was extremely important. He had the ability to make utter strangers come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-think-reading-shakespeare-s-plays-when-i-was-young-was-extremely/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Contrary to what some folks would have us believe, it is not tragic, even if undesirable, for a person to leave a liberal arts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/contrary-to-what-some-folks-would-have-us-believe-it-is-not-tragic/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Algebra looked like Chinese characters to me, and I could never get into reading Shakespeare. I just did not get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/algebra-looked-like-chinese-characters-to-me-and-i-could-never-get/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [Writing, or at least good writing, is an outgrowth of that urge to use language to communicate complex ideas and experiences between people. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/writing-or-at-least-good-writing-is-an-outgrowth-of-that-urge-to-use/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Why are we reading a Shakespeare play or 'Huckleberry Finn?' 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A false governess whose life history began in 1816 when she'd stepped off the ferry, seasick and petrified, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/and-she-was-what-a-governess-a-false-governess-whose-life-history/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Rich women are not too put upon by their children. You don't have to do all the things for a child that those women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/rich-women-are-not-too-put-upon-by-their-children-you-don-t-have-to/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) ## More by Eloisa James > [“It was as if the world was presenting her with everything she wanted ... in all the wrong ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/it-was-as-if-the-world-was-presenting-her-with-everything-she-wanted/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“My eyes would have told you everything you wanted to know in the parlor ... You would never have spouted that drivel about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/my-eyes-would-have-told-you-everything-you-wanted-to-know-in-the/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Will Peter be joining us for tea, do you think?' 'I doubt it. Peter rarely returns home before late in the evening.' 'Oh.' Quill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/will-peter-be-joining-us-for-tea-do-you-think-i-doubt-it-peter-rarely/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [Oh, I have felt lust. And I've indulged lust. But no other woman has turned me into another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/oh-i-have-felt-lust-and-i-ve-indulged-lust-but-no-other-woman-has/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [ “One night she got into an argument with one of the scientists about the recent discovery of a new planet called Uranus \[...\] 'What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/one-night-she-got-into-an-argument-with-one-of-the-scientists-about/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Marry me, Esme. Please. Honor me. I will honor you as your husband never did. Our marriage would be a remedy against sin, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/marry-me-esme-please-honor-me-i-will-honor-you-as-your-husband-never/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“I would like, just once, for a woman to see me as other than a person with a coronet. Simply as a man, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/i-would-like-just-once-for-a-woman-to-see-me-as-other-than-a-person/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Didn't it say it all that Griffin couldn't make it to his own bloody front door without a cane? For all his was mahogany…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/didn-t-it-say-it-all-that-griffin-couldn-t-make-it-to-his-own-bloody/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“You're confusing desire and love,' she said, watching him. 'They are not the same.' 'I do love you. I feel near to murder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/you-re-confusing-desire-and-love-she-said-watching-him-they-are-not/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [In case there is any question in your mind," he said, cupping her face with his hands. "What I want, what I most desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/in-case-there-is-any-question-in-your-mind-he-said-cupping-her-face/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [There's nothing I like more than meeting velvet clad peers while wrapped in a towel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/there-s-nothing-i-like-more-than-meeting-velvet-clad-peers-while/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [I have come to the conclusion that silence and time are the most precious commodities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/i-have-come-to-the-conclusion-that-silence-and-time-are-the-most/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [Life without a phone is riskier, lonelier, more vivid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/life-without-a-phone-is-riskier-lonelier-more-vivid/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“At some point Ewan had taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His forearms were bulging with muscle, and his shoulders appeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/at-some-point-ewan-had-taken-off-his-jacket-and-rolled-up-his-sleeves/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“The last person Jemma expected to welcome into her bedchamber that night was her husband. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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