--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: O serpent heart, hid with a flowering…" description: "\"“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-rave..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/william-shakespeare-4_death_o-serpent-heart-hid-with-a-flowering-fac_225362.jpg" --- # O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever… ![“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of divinest show! Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st, A damned saint, an honourable villain! O nature, what…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/william-shakespeare-4_death_o-serpent-heart-hid-with-a-flowering-fac_225362.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/william-shakespeare-4_death_o-serpent-heart-hid-with-a-flowering-fac_225362.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/william-shakespeare-4_death_o-serpent-heart-hid-with-a-flowering-fac_225362.jpg) > ““O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of divinest show! Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st, A damned saint, an honourable villain! O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell; When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh? Was ever book containing such vile matter So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell In such a gorgeous palace!”” [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 describes love as a paradoxical blend of beauty and danger, highlighting its capacity to be both divine and destructive. **In simple terms:** Love is beautiful yet dangerous, a mix of good and evil. Key Takeaway Embrace love’s complexity while staying aware of its risks. Themes love paradox danger Mood passionate cautious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - courtship - poetry - therapy - relationship counseling - creative writing Key Concepts romanticism dualism human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance passion with caution? - What does “beautiful tyrant” reveal about love? 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