The quotes taken from Shakespeare are usually those that are well known - ‘to be or not to be’ or ones that we cannot quite understand – ‘more matter with less art’. For those who aren’t as knowledgeable on the wise words of William Shakespeare, we are sure to brush past his works with the realization that the majority of it would be incomprehensible. What we don’t realize is that a lot of what he said, not only in his works, but him himself, can teach us a lot and be understood without the need for detailed translation.
Take this quote. “Be great in act, as you have been in thought”
Shakespeare has delved into the minds of many people out there who, internally are strong minded and brave but externally, find it hard to pull together that courage. We can learn a lot from this quote, and especially for women. The previous oppression of women might not have been reality for us in the modern society, but this quote would have been one to pull together their weakness in order to prove the confidence and poise that could be built among women as we can see represented today.
It conveys a simple, yet strong message. In our minds, we disguise the things that we really aspire to do or to be like. Our thoughts are hidden, no one knows what they are unless they are voiced and it is this power which allows us to experiment with our imagination. But what this quote is trying to communicate to us, is that we should not be afraid to be who our mind is telling us to be. We should not mask our thoughts, we should act on them. This strength would help us achieve our aspirations and goals and ultimately we will be more fulfilled.
It’s easy to say that, but the doing is the hardest bit. This can be applied in many situations, voicing your opinion when you are too afraid what people might think, acting on your thoughts in areas of your career or even in your love life. It was found that in 1970, only 15% of women were in management positions and currently, only three of every one hundred top jobs in the largest U.S. companies are held by women. Does this mean women are too afraid to act on their thoughts of being able to achieve more? Women are great thinkers, and I believe that if they acted on their beliefs then there would be a dramatic increase in the amount of women in management positions. This is only one interpretation of the quote. I think best piece of advice, which I have a serious lack of, is to be brave. Is there really much to lose if you can take a chance? Think of how much you might gain if you act on your thoughts. Won’t life be much more exciting if you took a risk once in a while?
Some might think it is unusual to get so much out of a quote by Shakespeare which can affect our every day lives but there are a lot of quotes, which, if looked into deeper can give advice, knowledge and guidance for us.