Creatures Quote by William Shakespeare
““we fat all creatures else to 25 fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots:””
About This Quote
Source Play: The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 1, 1611
Humans consume resources to excess, ultimately feeding the very parasites they despise, highlighting self‑destructive consumption.
In simple terms: We overuse and end up feeding our own problems.
Key Takeaway
Reduce waste and consider long‑term impact.
Themes
consumption
self‑destruction
environment
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
environmental
When to use this quote
- industrial production
- food waste
- energy use
- urban development
Key Concepts
overconsumption
ecosystem collapse
human folly
Questions to Reflect On
- How does our consumption affect future generations?
- What habits can we change to break the cycle?
A Different Perspective
It may be a metaphorical exaggeration not meant literally.
![“HAMLET [...] we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end. CLAUDIUS Alas, alas. HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/28d/william-shakespeare-4_beggar_hamlet-we-fat-all-creatures-else-to-fat_188869.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
