--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now is the winter of our discontent." description: "\"Now is the winter of our discontent.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg" --- # Now is the winter of our discontent. ![“Now is the winter of our discontent.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg) > “Now is the winter of our discontent.” [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 laments a period of personal or societal dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Feeling discontented in winter. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address discontent. Themes discontent season reflection Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary motivational When to use this quote - political leadership - personal growth - seasonal moods Key Concepts political turmoil personal crisis change Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your winter discontent? - How can you transform it? A Different Perspective Winter may symbolize stagnation, not change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discontent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discontent/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) [Winter Discontent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter-discontent-3895745/) ## Related quotes > [Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-made-glorious-summer-by-this-sun/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The snow may be falling in the winter of my discontent, but at least I've got sarcastic company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-snow-may-be-falling-in-the-winter-of-my-discontent-but-at-least-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“All right. The snow may be falling in the winter of my discontent, but at least I've got sarcastic company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/all-right-the-snow-may-be-falling-in-the-winter-of-my-discontent-but/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [What is more miserable than discontent?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-is-more-miserable-than-discontent/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice Hath often stilled my brawling discontent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/here-comes-a-man-of-comfort-whose-advice-hath-often-stilled-my/) [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/) > [How like a winter hath my absence been. From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! What freezings have I felt, what dark days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/how-like-a-winter-hath-my-absence-been-from-thee-the-pleasure-of-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Poor and content, is rich and rich enough; But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/poor-and-content-is-rich-and-rich-enough-but-riches-fineless-is-as/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Winter, which, being full of care, makes summer's welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/winter-which-being-full-of-care-makes-summer-s-welcome-thrice-more/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Crabbed age and youth cannot live together; Youth is full of pleasure, age is full of care; Youth like summer morn, age like winter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/crabbed-age-and-youth-cannot-live-together-youth-is-full-of-pleasure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love comforteth like sunshine after rain, But Lust's effect is tempest after sun; Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain, Lust's winter comes ere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-comforteth-like-sunshine-after-rain-but-lust-s-effect-is-tempest/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty; for in my youth I never did apply hot and rebellious liquors in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/though-i-look-old-yet-i-am-strong-and-lusty-for-in-my-youth-i-never/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A sad tale's best for winter. I have one of sprites and goblins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-sad-tale-s-best-for-winter-i-have-one-of-sprites-and-goblins/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [... the spring, the summer, The chilling autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world By their increase, now knows not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-spring-the-summer-the-chilling-autumn-angry-winter-change-their/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Beauty's a doubtful good, a glass, a flower, Lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour; And beauty, blemish'd once, for ever's lost, In spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/beauty-s-a-doubtful-good-a-glass-a-flower-lost-faded-broken-dead/) [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 Discontent quotes > [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/) > [For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/for-a-successful-revolution-it-is-not-enough-that-there-is-discontent/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) > [“She was tired of the flaming thoughts of discontent that kept her awake at night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-gaffney/she-was-tired-of-the-flaming-thoughts-of-discontent-that-kept-her/) [Virginia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-gaffney/) > [The oppressed without hope are mysteriously quiet. When the conception of change is beyond the limits of the possible, there are no words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-rowbotham/the-oppressed-without-hope-are-mysteriously-quiet-when-the-conception/) [Sheila Rowbotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-rowbotham/) > [“Comparison with myself brings improvement, comparison with others brings discontent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-jamie-chung/comparison-with-myself-brings-improvement-comparison-with-others/) [Betty Jamie Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-jamie-chung/) > [I am profoundly in the D's - discouraged, depressed, disheartened, disgusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dunbar-nelson/i-am-profoundly-in-the-d-s-discouraged-depressed-disheartened/) [Alice Dunbar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dunbar-nelson/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [While the principles of our Constitution give just latitude to inquiry, every citizen faithful to it will deem embodied expressions of discontent and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/while-the-principles-of-our-constitution-give-just-latitude-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“And since he was seeing more and more people who were unhappy for no apparent reason, he was becoming more and more tired, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/and-since-he-was-seeing-more-and-more-people-who-were-unhappy-for-no/) [François Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/) > [You can spend your whole life complaining about how much you hate life or you can spend it finding new ways to love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/you-can-spend-your-whole-life-complaining-about-how-much-you-hate/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I grieve and dare not show my discontent, I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, I do, yet dare not say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-grieve-and-dare-not-show-my-discontent-i-love-and-yet-am-forced-to/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Upon the profound discontent of the young in every country do I set my faith. I beg you, the young, to be discontented. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/upon-the-profound-discontent-of-the-young-in-every-country-do-i-set/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Love is maintain'd by wealth: when all is spent, Adversity then breeds the discontent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/love-is-maintain-d-by-wealth-when-all-is-spent-adversity-then-breeds/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Everything becomes so problematic because of basic faults: from a discontent with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-freud/everything-becomes-so-problematic-because-of-basic-faults-from-a/) [Anna Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-freud/) > [“One whisper, Judith, added to a thousand others will become a roar of discontent even”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-garwood/one-whisper-judith-added-to-a-thousand-others-will-become-a-roar-of/) [Julie Garwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-garwood/) [Browse all 450 Discontent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discontent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Now is the winter of our discontent.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discontent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/william-shakespeare-4_discontent_now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent-1355_1355325.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now is the winter of our discontent.” — 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": "Now is the winter of our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/#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 } } ] } ```