--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is little choice in a barrel of…" description: "\"There is little choice in a barrel of rotten apples.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/william-shakespeare-4_apple_there-is-little-choice-in-a-barrel-of-ro_3122399.jpg" --- # There is little choice in a barrel of rotten apples. ![“There is little choice in a barrel of rotten apples.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/william-shakespeare-4_apple_there-is-little-choice-in-a-barrel-of-ro_3122399.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/william-shakespeare-4_apple_there-is-little-choice-in-a-barrel-of-ro_3122399.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/william-shakespeare-4_apple_there-is-little-choice-in-a-barrel-of-ro_3122399.jpg) > “There is little choice in a barrel of rotten apples.” [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. He uses the metaphor of rotten apples to illustrate limited choices when surrounded by bad options, implying the need for discernment. **In simple terms:** Few good options among many bad ones. Key Takeaway Seek quality over quantity in choices. Themes choice quality perception metaphor Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - job hunting - investment decisions - relationship choices - product selection Key Concepts ethical decision-making critical thinking literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - What criteria help you identify the 'ripe' options? - How do you handle limited good choices? A Different Perspective Not all situations have ideal solutions; compromise may be necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Rotten apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rotten-apples/) ## Related quotes > [I still do a weekly opinion column for the Miami Herald, and it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Rotten fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/i-still-do-a-weekly-opinion-column-for-the-miami-herald-and-it-s-like/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) > [There's small choice in rotten apples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-s-small-choice-in-rotten-apples/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The rotten apple spoils his companion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-rotten-apple-spoils-his-companion/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Rotten apples stay spoiled, Nedwin said. Copernum and his allies will hang themselves with future crimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/rotten-apples-stay-spoiled-nedwin-said-copernum-and-his-allies-will/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [After a few rotten apples try an orange..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/after-a-few-rotten-apples-try-an-orange/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“The seasonal urge is strong in poets. Milton wrote chiefly in winter. 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It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-acheson/like-apples-in-a-barrel-infected-by-one-rotten-one-the-corruption-of/) [Dean Acheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-acheson/) > [Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/up-until-prohibition-an-apple-grown-in-america-was-far-less-likely-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/) [Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/) ## 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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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 Apple quotes > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. 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I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/) [Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/) [Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/) [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/) Horace Dediu > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: 'Why isn't Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that?' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/to-the-extent-that-anyone-anywhere-does-anything-interesting-the/) [Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/) > [I read the Steve Jobs book, and that kind of changed everything. 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