--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scratching could not make it worse, an't…" description: "\"Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face as yours were.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg" --- # Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face… ![“Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face as yours were.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg) > “Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face as yours were.” [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 suggests that even a harsh action cannot worsen an already terrible appearance. **In simple terms:** Even worse can't worsen a bad face. Key Takeaway Recognize when further criticism is futile. Themes appearance criticism humor human nature Mood witty critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - social interactions - conflict resolution - self‑esteem - public speaking Key Concepts rhetoric self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - When is criticism constructive? - How do you respond to harsh appearances? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) [Scratching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scratching/) [Scratching Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scratching-make-3242728/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/) [Worse Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-face-2066618/) ## Related quotes > [Scratching could not make it worse. . . such a face as yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-such-a-face-as-yours/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I try to act with my whole body and, for better or worse, this is the face that's attached to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/i-try-to-act-with-my-whole-body-and-for-better-or-worse-this-is-the/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [Sex is ... scratching an itch Everything else is something we project on a very simple act. It's the psychology, not the biology, that's complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-browne/sex-is-scratching-an-itch-everything-else-is-something-we-project-on/) [Joy Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-browne/) > [“Itchy fingers scratching keys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz-feylynn/itchy-fingers-scratching-keys/) [Jazz Feylynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz-feylynn/) > [“Hilarity keeps you busy for several blocks, but there’s a sickness to it, like an itch that if you keep on scratching, will grind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/hilarity-keeps-you-busy-for-several-blocks-but-there-s-a-sickness-to/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“Why, you may ask, take on this unpleasant, frightening subject? Why stare into the sun? Why not follow the advice of the venerable dean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/why-you-may-ask-take-on-this-unpleasant-frightening-subject-why-stare/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Kissing a girl because she lets you is like scratching a place that doesn't itch!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-e-neuman/kissing-a-girl-because-she-lets-you-is-like-scratching-a-place-that/) [Alfred E. Neuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-e-neuman/) > [“Because scratching this particular itch would only spread it. This isn’t a bug bite. This is poison ivy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-locke/because-scratching-this-particular-itch-would-only-spread-it-this-isn/) [Adriana Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-locke/) > [When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. But if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lover/when-once-the-itch-of-literature-comes-over-a-man-nothing-can-cure-it-2/) [Samuel Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lover/) > [“Writing is a bitch. 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As far as surgeries go, I’m just barely scratching the surface.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-stitched-an-itch-to-my-side-as-far-as-surgeries-go-i-m-just-barely/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lover/when-once-the-itch-of-literature-comes-over-a-man-nothing-can-cure-it/) [Samuel Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lover/) > [“Rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, you make yourselves scabs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/rubbing-the-poor-itch-of-your-opinion-you-make-yourselves-scabs/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Some people aren't touchy-feely, but I grew up in a family where you'd walk into the family room and there'd be five people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-donnell/some-people-aren-t-touchy-feely-but-i-grew-up-in-a-family-where-you-d/) [Chris O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-donnell/) ## 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. 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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 Face quotes > [I just feel like everybody stays on their phone nowadays. People will go to a party and everybody is on their phone, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snow-tha-product/i-just-feel-like-everybody-stays-on-their-phone-nowadays-people-will/) [Snow Tha Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snow-tha-product/) > [I plan on actually governing in a nonpartisan fashion because I think that 90% of the problems we face are nonpartisan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/i-plan-on-actually-governing-in-a-nonpartisan-fashion-because-i-think/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [“You think a few features scattered on your face make you plain? I am ugly to the core. All England knows it. And after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/you-think-a-few-features-scattered-on-your-face-make-you-plain-i-am/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [A face is too slight a foundation for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/a-face-is-too-slight-a-foundation-for-happiness/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [There's nothing like the energy in a small comedy club room or a small theater when it's going really well. I can see everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/there-s-nothing-like-the-energy-in-a-small-comedy-club-room-or-a/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [God doesn't love me any more or less because I had some work done on my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/god-doesn-t-love-me-any-more-or-less-because-i-had-some-work-done-on/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [We are lagging far behind comparable countries in overcoming the disadvantages Indigenous people face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-fraser/we-are-lagging-far-behind-comparable-countries-in-overcoming-the/) [Malcolm Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-fraser/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [“face your fears and live well”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane/face-your-fears-and-live-well/) [dane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Fans would always want us to sign their sneakers. I'd hold the shoes up to my face and stick my nose in 'em and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/fans-would-always-want-us-to-sign-their-sneakers-i-d-hold-the-shoes/) [Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/) > [There is no other person on the face of this planet that I would rather sit and talk to than my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-aames/there-is-no-other-person-on-the-face-of-this-planet-that-i-would/) [Willie Aames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-aames/) > [It's wonderful to see a young lady headbutt somebody and kick somebody's face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-wonderful-to-see-a-young-lady-headbutt-somebody-and-kick/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [I'm doing my own thing.. GET OUT OF MY FACE!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-doing-my-own-thing-get-out-of-my-face/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The golf ball doesn't care about know how hard you're working, or how many hours you slept that night. It only matters, what speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-hovland/the-golf-ball-doesn-t-care-about-know-how-hard-you-re-working-or-how/) [Viktor Hovland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-hovland/) [Browse all 5,631 Face quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face as yours were.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t-were-such-a-face-as-yours-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Face" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t-were-such-a-face-as-yours-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/william-shakespeare-4_faces_scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t_1149622.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Scratching could not make it worse, an't were such a face as yours were.” — 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": "Scratching could not make it worse,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t-were-such-a-face-as-yours-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scratching-could-not-make-it-worse-an-t-were-such-a-face-as-yours-were/#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 } } ] } ```