--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil…" description: "\"Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil. Are empty trunks o'erflourished by the devil.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_virtue-is-beauty-but-the-beauteous-evil_1683946.jpg" --- # Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil. Are empty trunks… ![“Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil. Are empty trunks o'erflourished by the devil.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_virtue-is-beauty-but-the-beauteous-evil_1683946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_virtue-is-beauty-but-the-beauteous-evil_1683946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_virtue-is-beauty-but-the-beauteous-evil_1683946.jpg) > “Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil. Are empty trunks o'erflourished by the devil.” [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. Beauty can be a virtue, yet evil can masquerade as attractive, like a hollow tree overgrown by a devil. **In simple terms:** Virtue may appear beautiful, but evil can disguise itself. Key Takeaway Beware of superficial allure. Themes beauty virtue evil appearance Mood cautionary poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - political rhetoric - advertising - personal relationships - media analysis Key Concepts moral ambiguity deception symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What does “beau­teous evil” suggest about moral perception? - How do we discern true virtue? A Different Perspective Interpretation varies; may be metaphorical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [“In nature there's no blemish but the mind; None can be called deformed but the unkind: Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-nature-there-s-no-blemish-but-the-mind-none-can-be-called-deformed-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The cardinal virtue of all beauty is restraint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/the-cardinal-virtue-of-all-beauty-is-restraint/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [It is one of the most culpable oversights of nature that virtue and beauty so often come in separate packages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/it-is-one-of-the-most-culpable-oversights-of-nature-that-virtue-and/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Beauty is the virtue of the body as virtue is the beauty of the soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/beauty-is-the-virtue-of-the-body-as-virtue-is-the-beauty-of-the-soul/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“There is no endowment in man or woman, that is not tallied in you. 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When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. 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