---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I will instruct my sorrows to be proud…"
description: "\"I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.\" — William Shakespeare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg"
---

#  I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is…

![“I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg)

> “I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.”

[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.

The speaker urges his sorrow to be dignified, suggesting that grief, when proud, can elevate its bearer rather than diminish them.

**In simple terms:** Embrace sorrow proudly; it can lift you.

Key Takeaway

Own your grief with dignity.

Themes

grief pride resilience self‑respect

Mood

melancholic thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal loss
- creative expression
- mental health coping
- spiritual reflection

Key Concepts

Stoicism emotional intelligence literary metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- Can pride in sorrow become a barrier?
- How does dignified grief affect healing?

A Different Perspective

Pride may prevent healing if it blocks vulnerability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/)

## Related quotes

> [I will instruct my sorrows to be proud For grief is proud an't makes his owner stoop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-for-grief-is-proud-an-t-makes/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Grief is ever proud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/grief-is-ever-proud/)

[L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/)

> [The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me; the element shows to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-king-is-but-a-man-as-i-am-the-violet-smells-to-him-as-it-doth-to/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [My falcon now is sharp and passing empty, and till she stoop she must not be full-gorged, for then she never looks upon her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-falcon-now-is-sharp-and-passing-empty-and-till-she-stoop-she-must/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curl'd pate will grow bald; a fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-good-leg-will-fall-a-straight-back-will-stoop-a-black-beard-will-2/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Men that hazard all Do it in hope of fair advantages: A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/men-that-hazard-all-do-it-in-hope-of-fair-advantages-a-golden-mind/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-golden-mind-stoops-not-to-shows-of-dross/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [ Just when you think \[Donald Trump\] can stoop no lower, he does. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/just-when-you-think-donald-trump-can-stoop-no-lower-he-does/)

[Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/)

> [Reformers have long observed city people loitering on busy corners, hanging around in candy stores and bars and drinking soda popon stoops, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/reformers-have-long-observed-city-people-loitering-on-busy-corners/)

[Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/)

> [Just let matters slide. How much better to accept each sweet drop of the honey that was Time, than to stoop to the vulgarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/just-let-matters-slide-how-much-better-to-accept-each-sweet-drop-of/)

[Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/)

> [Wealth accumulates, and men decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/wealth-accumulates-and-men-decay/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [A man never stoops so low as when he rises to the challenge of politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/a-man-never-stoops-so-low-as-when-he-rises-to-the-challenge-of/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [A Christian in his surroundings should encourage everyone to be better, instead of being the one who stoops to be like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/a-christian-in-his-surroundings-should-encourage-everyone-to-be/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [To what will love not stoop!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-what-will-love-not-stoop/)

[Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/)

> [I think the public doesn't understand that one of the reasons I haven't stood up for myself is because in order to do that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-think-the-public-doesn-t-understand-that-one-of-the-reasons-i-haven/)

[Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/)

## 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 Be proud quotes

> [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/)

[Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/)

> [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Do not be proud of your inconsistency. It is a pity, it is a pity that we should be equipped like this. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/do-not-be-proud-of-your-inconsistency-it-is-a-pity-it-is-a-pity-that/)

[E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/)

> [You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work. I want to look back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-just-have-to-keep-trying-to-do-good-work-and-hope-that-it-leads/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [All of my decisions I made when I was a kid were decisions, would my mother and father be proud of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-venturi/all-of-my-decisions-i-made-when-i-was-a-kid-were-decisions-would-my/)

[Ken Venturi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-venturi/)

> [We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be proud of, to be together, and to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-had-pathetically-simple-dreams-to-do-meaningful-work-that-we-could/)

[Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/)

> [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/)

[Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/)

> [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/)

[Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/)

> [I hate pride, but if I were going to be proud of anything it would have to be something I'd done myself. Race pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-o-connor/i-hate-pride-but-if-i-were-going-to-be-proud-of-anything-it-would/)

[Carroll O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-o-connor/)

> [What I have most learned from my son is to respect him and to love him unconditionally. I believe that if parents respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/what-i-have-most-learned-from-my-son-is-to-respect-him-and-to-love/)

[Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/)

> [I was a breed of people who aren't capable of doing anything, really. At college I began to get the idea that being macho…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-was-a-breed-of-people-who-aren-t-capable-of-doing-anything-really/)

[Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/)

> [Any society that doesn't take care of its weaker younger members is not one to be proud of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-march/any-society-that-doesn-t-take-care-of-its-weaker-younger-members-is/)

[Stephanie March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-march/)

> [ The thing most worth doing in this modern world \[is to\] create jobs that men can work at, and be proud of, and make… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/the-thing-most-worth-doing-in-this-modern-world-is-to-create-jobs/)

[Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/)

> [I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-cannot-understand-how-anyone-can-be-an-indian-and-not-be-proud/)

[Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/)

> [...We are intensely proud of their noble record and are glad to have had the whole world see how irresistible they are in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/we-are-intensely-proud-of-their-noble-record-and-are-glad-to-have-had/)

[Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/)

Browse all 563 Be proud quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Shakespeare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-for-grief-is-proud-and-makes/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Be proud"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-for-grief-is-proud-and-makes/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/william-shakespeare-4_be-proud_i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-f_1885293.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; for grief is proud, and makes his owner stoop.” — 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 will instruct my sorrows to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-for-grief-is-proud-and-makes/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-instruct-my-sorrows-to-be-proud-for-grief-is-proud-and-makes/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
