--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if…" description: "\"“honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No: or a arm? No: or take away the grief of a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg" --- # honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off… ![“honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No: or a arm? No: or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that then? Air. A trim reckoning! - Who hath it? He that died…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg) > ““honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No: or a arm? No: or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that then? Air. A trim reckoning! - Who hath it? He that died o‘ Wednesday? Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. ‘Tis insensible, then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I‘ll have none of it: honour is a mere scutcheon: - and so ends my catechism.”” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honour is portrayed as an empty, painful concept that offers no real benefit or comfort, especially to the dead. **In simple terms:** Honour is meaningless and offers no help. Key Takeaway Recognize the emptiness of hollow prestige. Themes honour existentialism skepticism Mood cynical reflective Type philosophical critical literary When to use this quote - military leadership - political ambition - personal identity - legacy building Key Concepts illusion meaninglessness human frailty Questions to Reflect On - Is any social construct truly valuable? - Can we find meaning beyond honour? A Different Perspective Honour can still motivate people despite its emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) ## Related quotes > [What is honour? a word. What is in that word honour? what is that honour? air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it? he that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-is-honour-a-word-what-is-in-that-word-honour-what-is-that-honour/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“What is honour? A word. What is that word ‘honour’? Air. A trim135 reckoning! Who hath it? He that died o’Wednesday. Doth he feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-is-honour-a-word-what-is-that-word-honour-air-a-trim135/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Better to die ten thousand deaths, Than wound my honour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/better-to-die-ten-thousand-deaths-than-wound-my-honour/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times, Turning the accomplishment of many years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-tis-your-thoughts-that-now-must-deck-our-kings-carry-them-here/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Que ella que con su muerte le dice a nuestro César: "Me conquisté yo misma".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/que-ella-que-con-su-muerte-le-dice-a-nuestro-c-sar-me-conquist-yo/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [ “What, you egg? \[He stabs him.\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-you-egg-he-stabs-him/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Were half to half the world by the ears and he Upon my party, I'ld revolt to make Only my wars with him: he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/were-half-to-half-the-world-by-the-ears-and-he-upon-my-party-i-ld/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Now tell me how long you would have her after you have possessed her. ORLANDO Forever and a day. ROSALIND Say “a day” without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-tell-me-how-long-you-would-have-her-after-you-have-possessed-her/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; They eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They belch us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/they-are-all-but-stomachs-and-we-all-but-food-they-eat-us-hungerly/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“My plenteous joys, Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes, And you whose places are the nearest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-plenteous-joys-wanton-in-fulness-seek-to-hide-themselves-in-drops/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Sweet sister, let me live." - Claudio, Act 3 Scene 1”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sweet-sister-let-me-live-claudio-act-3-scene-1/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you: all the swords In Italy, and her confederate arms, Could not have made this peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ladies-you-deserve-to-have-a-temple-built-you-all-the-swords-in-italy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Marry, if you would put me to verses or to dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me: for the one, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/marry-if-you-would-put-me-to-verses-or-to-dance-for-your-sake-kate/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/infected-minds-to-their-deaf-pillows-will-discharge-their-secrets/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“But jealous souls will not be answered so. They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-jealous-souls-will-not-be-answered-so-they-are-not-ever-jealous/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Honour quotes > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Brothers all In honour, as in one community, Scholars and gentlemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/brothers-all-in-honour-as-in-one-community-scholars-and-gentlemen/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [We artists give daily thanks for the miracle of our planet and for the inclination and the capability to honour it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/we-artists-give-daily-thanks-for-the-miracle-of-our-planet-and-for/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [You have to be quite heavily invested in someone to do them the honour of telling them you're annoyed with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/you-have-to-be-quite-heavily-invested-in-someone-to-do-them-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“I will stand by you – not for duty, not for pity, not for honour – but for love – trusting, protecting, comprehending love”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-galton-wilson/i-will-stand-by-you-not-for-duty-not-for-pity-not-for-honour-but-for/) Edith Galton Wilson > [Of all graces, faith honours Christ the most; of all graces, Christ honours faith the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/of-all-graces-faith-honours-christ-the-most-of-all-graces-christ/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [It is no small honour that God for our sake has so magnificently adorned the world, in order that we may not only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/it-is-no-small-honour-that-god-for-our-sake-has-so-magnificently/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [The practice of all ages and all countries (whether Christian or heathen, polite or barbarous) hath been ... to do honour to those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/the-practice-of-all-ages-and-all-countries-whether-christian-or/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [“When God gives law to us, we must give honour to him; when he speaks, we must bow our heads and worship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/when-god-gives-law-to-us-we-must-give-honour-to-him-when-he-speaks-we/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [“Hero' is not an official status or designation, but if the world recognize you as a hero, it is the highest honor you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/hero-is-not-an-official-status-or-designation-but-if-the-world/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [It's an honour to play with the Italy jersey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciro-immobile/it-s-an-honour-to-play-with-the-italy-jersey/) [Ciro Immobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciro-immobile/) > [I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-may-be-stupid-as-you-say-to-believe-in-honour-and-friendship-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Dear me! We Tooks and Brandybucks, we can't live long on the heights.' 'No,' said Merry. 'I can't. Not yet, at any rate. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-me-we-tooks-and-brandybucks-we-can-t-live-long-on-the-heights-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 1,096 Honour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No: or a arm? No: or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that then? Air. A trim reckoning! - Who hath it? He that died o‘ Wednesday? Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. ‘Tis insensible, then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I‘ll have none of it: honour is a mere scutcheon: - and so ends my catechism.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honour-prick-me-off-when-i-come-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Honour" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honour-prick-me-off-when-i-come-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/william-shakespeare-4_william-shakespeare_honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honou_650825.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No…” — William Shakespeare", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“honour pricks me on. Yea, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honour-prick-me-off-when-i-come-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/honour-pricks-me-on-yea-but-how-if-honour-prick-me-off-when-i-come-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```