Dreams Quote by William Shakespeare
““What win I if I gain the thing I seek? A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy. Who buys a minute's mirth to wail a week? Or sells eternity to get a toy?””
About This Quote
Source Play: The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2, 1611
The speaker questions the value of fleeting pleasures versus lasting fulfillment, suggesting that short‑term joy may be worthless compared to eternity.
In simple terms: Short pleasures may be meaningless compared to lasting meaning.
Key Takeaway
Consider what truly matters beyond momentary happiness.
Themes
meaning
transience
value
eternity
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal decisions
- career choices
- relationships
- spiritual seeking
Key Concepts
philosophy
existentialism
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you value more: a brief joy or lasting purpose?
- How can you balance immediate pleasure with long‑term goals?
A Different Perspective
The line is poetic and may be misinterpreted as encouraging nihilism.
![“I've known supreme happiness, and I'm not greedy enough to want what I have to go on forever. Every dream ends. Wouldn't it be foolish, knowing that nothing lasts forever, to insist that one has a right to do something that does? [...]but, if eternity existed, it would be this moment.” quote by Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/206/yukio-mishima-1418_dreams_i-ve-known-supreme-happiness-and-i-m-not_2932549.jpg)
