Mermaid Quote by William Shakespeare
““There is a willow grows aslant the brook that shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; therewith fantastic garlands did she make of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples that the liberal shepherds give a grosser name, but our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke; when down her weedy trophies and herself fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide and, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; which time she chanted snatches of old lauds, as one incapable of her own distress, or like a creature native and indued unto that element; but long it could not be till that her garments, heavy with their drink, pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death.””
About This Quote
A vivid, tragic tale of a willow‑like maiden whose ornate garlands and flowing garments lead her to a watery death, illustrating beauty, vanity, and the peril of excess.
In simple terms: A beautiful woman’s ornate dress and vanity cause her downfall in a river.
Key Takeaway
Beware letting vanity and excess lead to ruin.
Themes
tragedy
nature
vanity
Mood
melancholic
poetic
Type
mythic
tragic
When to use this quote
- theatrical performance
- literary analysis
- creative writing
- artistic inspiration
Key Concepts
symbolism
mortality
mythic imagery
Questions to Reflect On
- How does beauty become a fatal trap?
- What does the river symbolize?
A Different Perspective
The ornate description may romanticize fatal outcomes.
