--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats…" description: "\"I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I'll do't.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg" --- # I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's… ![“I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I'll do't.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg) > “I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I'll do't.” [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. A character declares inability to perform basic tasks, refusing work that is not his own, highlighting personal autonomy and labor refusal. **In simple terms:** Refusing unwanted labor asserts personal freedom. Key Takeaway Know your limits and choose work wisely. Themes labor autonomy identity choice refusal Mood defiant thoughtful Type dramatic ethical When to use this quote - employment decisions - union negotiations - personal boundaries - career planning Key Concepts ethics self‑determination social class Questions to Reflect On - When is it right to refuse work? - How do we balance duty and autonomy? A Different Perspective Societal pressure may force people into undesirable work despite personal convictions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Manliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manliness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you know that granola bars are apparently worse for you than chocolate bars? We've been had , Chris, had by the Quaker Oats man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-buzo/do-you-know-that-granola-bars-are-apparently-worse-for-you-than/) [Laura Buzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-buzo/) > [“Draw a cart with horses, or push it down a hill...Both move the cart, aye?” -- Daerwin of Brannagh”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-maclean/draw-a-cart-with-horses-or-push-it-down-a-hill-both-move-the-cart-aye/) [Jordan MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-maclean/) > [Some kids do drugs. Some kids light stuff on fire. Me, I eat oats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/some-kids-do-drugs-some-kids-light-stuff-on-fire-me-i-eat-oats/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [I love my cooking tools because I enjoy cooking - a Vitamix for smoothies and a rice cooker for steel-cut oats. I travel with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-love-my-cooking-tools-because-i-enjoy-cooking-a-vitamix-for/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [Self-restraint is feeling your oats without sowing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-fife/self-restraint-is-feeling-your-oats-without-sowing-them/) Shannon Fife > [But I shall like my battle. This sort of day puts one in mood for it. 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The civilized man regards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-a-thorough-process-this-war-with-the-wilderness-breaking-nature/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Mr. David Stockman has said that supply-side economics was merely a cover for the trickle-down approach to economic policy—what an older and less elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/mr-david-stockman-has-said-that-supply-side-economics-was-merely-a/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Great oaks grow from little acorns. He has a green thumb. He has green fingers. He's sowing his wild oats. Here Ceres' gifts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/great-oaks-grow-from-little-acorns-he-has-a-green-thumb-he-has-green/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) ## 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 Carts quotes > [The four cautions: Beware a woman in front of you, beware a horse behind of you, beware a cart beside of you, and beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-o-neill/the-four-cautions-beware-a-woman-in-front-of-you-beware-a-horse/) [Jamie O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-o-neill/) > [It was right after 9/11 and I decided to walk around the grounds of the Pentagon, because I had never been there. Out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/it-was-right-after-9-11-and-i-decided-to-walk-around-the-grounds-of/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [I don't rate myself as a fantastic, talented athlete. I just have perseverance. I'm a cart horse. I work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-de-reuck/i-don-t-rate-myself-as-a-fantastic-talented-athlete-i-just-have/) Colleen De Reuck > [When you're out grocery shopping for your family, maybe you can put a can of cat or dog food in your cart and bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-ray/when-you-re-out-grocery-shopping-for-your-family-maybe-you-can-put-a/) [Rachael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-ray/) > [There's no backward and no forward, no day other than this. You fill your cart as you go, and that's that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnham-schwartz/there-s-no-backward-and-no-forward-no-day-other-than-this-you-fill/) [John Burnham Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnham-schwartz/) > [What makes us a bit nervous is, in this instant age, to release something that might take more than one listen. Where everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/what-makes-us-a-bit-nervous-is-in-this-instant-age-to-release/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [do you fix a wheel that isn't broken, or do you wait until the cart collapses?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/do-you-fix-a-wheel-that-isn-t-broken-or-do-you-wait-until-the-cart/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [In the opening to the Mary Tyler Moore Show Mary's in the supermarket, hurrying through the aisles. She pauses at the meat case, picks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/in-the-opening-to-the-mary-tyler-moore-show-mary-s-in-the-supermarket/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Plans can be like a winged horse, but their execution plods along pulling carts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-lea/plans-can-be-like-a-winged-horse-but-their-execution-plods-along/) [Laurel Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-lea/) > [Because Christian morality leaves animals out of account, they are at once outlawed in philosophical morals; they are mere 'things,' mere means to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/because-christian-morality-leaves-animals-out-of-account-they-are-at/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [As I walked in the woods to see the birds and squirrels, so I walked in the village to see the men and boys;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-i-walked-in-the-woods-to-see-the-birds-and-squirrels-so-i-walked/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I learned a valuable lesson doing 'Mr. Sunshine,' which is that I didn't want to be in charge because it's too much. Being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/i-learned-a-valuable-lesson-doing-mr-sunshine-which-is-that-i-didn-t/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [I was set down from the carrier's cart at the age of three; and there with a sense of bewilderment and terror my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-lee/i-was-set-down-from-the-carrier-s-cart-at-the-age-of-three-and-there/) [Laurie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-lee/) > [Real mothers don't just listen with humble embarrassment to the elderly lady who offers unsolicited advice in the checkout line when a child is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/real-mothers-don-t-just-listen-with-humble-embarrassment-to-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Simon shook his head."Look,do you know what you want to eat,or do you just want me to keep pushing this cart up and down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/simon-shook-his-head-look-do-you-know-what-you-want-to-eat-or-do-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) Browse all 186 Carts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I'll do't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats-if-it-be-man-s-work-i-ll-do-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats-if-it-be-man-s-work-i-ll-do-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/william-shakespeare-4_carts_i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats_2243522.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I'll do't.” — 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": "I cannot draw a cart, nor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats-if-it-be-man-s-work-i-ll-do-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-cannot-draw-a-cart-nor-eat-dried-oats-if-it-be-man-s-work-i-ll-do-t/#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 } } ] } ```