Beauty Quote by William Shakespeare
““Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good; A shining gloss that vadeth suddenly; A flower that dies when first it 'gins to bud; A brittle that's broken presently; A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour. And as goods lost are seld or never found, As vaded gloss no rubbing will refresh, As flowers dead lie withered on the ground, As broken glass no cement can redress; So beauty blemished once, for ever lost, In spite of physic, painting, pain and cost.””
About This Quote
Source Play: The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 2 (approx.)
Beauty is fleeting, fragile, and once tarnished cannot be fully restored, highlighting the impermanence of external allure.
In simple terms: Beauty is temporary and easily ruined.
Key Takeaway
Value inner qualities over superficial appearances.
Themes
beauty
impermanence
vanity
loss
appearance
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- relationships
- art criticism
- personal self‑esteem
- marketing
- fashion
Key Concepts
ephemerality
aesthetic philosophy
human desire
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define beauty beyond the surface?
- Can lasting value be found in impermanent things?
A Different Perspective
Even if restored, beauty may still feel superficial and not address deeper issues.
![“A look of intelligence is what regularity of features is to women: it is a styule of beauty to which the most vain may aspire. [Fr., L'air spirituel est dans les hommes ce que la regularite des traits est dans les femmes: c'est le genre de beaute ou les plus vains puissent aspirer.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d33/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_air_a-look-of-intelligence-is-what-regularit_2879876.jpg)
