Brag Quote by William Shakespeare
““Ay, that I had not done a thousand more. Even now I curse the day—and yet, I think, Few come within the compass of my curse,— Wherein I did not some notorious ill, As kill a man, or else devise his death, Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it, Accuse some innocent and forswear myself, Set deadly enmity between two friends, Make poor men's cattle break their necks; Set fire on barns and hay-stacks in the night, And bid the owners quench them with their tears. Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves, And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; And on their skins, as on the bark of trees, Have with my knife carved in Roman letters, 'Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.' Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things As willingly as one would kill a fly, And nothing grieves me heartily indeed But that I cannot do ten thousand more.””
About This Quote
Source Play: King Lear, Act 4, Scene 6
Even extreme cruelty can become routine; moral decay erodes humanity.
In simple terms: Cruelty becomes habit; lose humanity.
Key Takeaway
Guard against desensitization.
Themes
morality
power
humanity
Mood
tragic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political leadership
- personal relationships
- justice systems
Key Concepts
Ethical decay
psychology of cruelty
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits your capacity for cruelty?
- How do you restore empathy?
A Different Perspective
Even the most vicious acts may be rationalized.
