Could someone dumb down this Shakespeare quote for me?
“What fates impose, that men must needs abide; It boots not to resist both wind and tide”
I love the quote, but I just hope I’m not making the wrong interpretation about what it’s saying.
Top 7 Answers
Favorite Answer
Hi
the word boots in this case translates approximately to “does” What he is saying is don’t fight your destiny. Wind and tide refer to things you can’t change.
cheers
1
Another way of saying it is, “Play the hand you’re dealt.”
That means do the best with whatever you’re given and don’t waste energy fighting things like wind and tides that you have no control over.
2
Accept the inevitable. A modern quote that is parallel to this is “Lord, give me the strength to accept that which I cannot change, the courage to change those things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
0
It pretty much means go with the flow and do not resist what has always been.
1
accept what is, it will get you nowhere to be angry about the wind and tide
0
5 years ago
It depends..
0
You can’t fight nature.
1
