But to speak true

First of all, allow me to say this: scene 5 of A Midsummer's Night Dream had me laughing out loud. The hilarious performance and the other characters' reactions to it provide for some serious comic relief, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this part of the play. However, Shakespeare blows us away once more by inserting profound remarks into the middle of a humorous scene as Lysander makes this statement: "It is not enough to speak, but to speak true" (A Midsummer's Night Dream, 5.1.127-28) Recently I've been working on thinking about what I'm going to say before speaking, which may be the reason why this line stuck out to me as much as it did. So much of the time, the things that come out of my mouth are automatic. For example, a friend might be telling me a story and I'll insert an "oh really?" or "oh my goodness!" without really thinking about it, because I know that that's a reaction that friend is looking for. However, what if I really thought about what I said - even in minor parts of a conversation - and made sure that everything I said was true, that it was really a representation of how I was feeling? This line seems to second Polonius' admonition "to thine own self be true" as it instructs us to have integrity of character. I hope to make this something that I am known for; for not just speaking, but for speaking true.

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