Is Shakespeare right " It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all "?

Answer 1

Yes, but I don't want to get fluffy with this. I think it's hard not to fall in love, and it hurts more to deny love and regret than to suffer a loss. Because at least for the briefest of moments in some cases, you were happy.

Answer 2

I would say yes, while love almost always results in at least some feeling of heartbreak and agony and for those that you lose a feeling of foolishness after you get over that fraction in time you appreciate experiencing that person and life in that perspective to have 'knowledge' of what it is to live in the grace of another and now that you have graced him as well it is a beautiful thing..to love a sport and lose the ability you will still appreciate those joys you experienced in the days you had it- love is the one unifying thing every human being has to offer and receive it is that 'knowledge' you obtain from it all that makes it worth while -just like losing your virginity that 'knowledge' of being one with another souls combining that makes you appreciate every gift and let it go freely when its all said and done moving on to another path to lead you

Answer 3

Yes, absolutely.
To have loved you've experienced the greatest emotion of all....one that can make you cry with sadness it was denied, or happiness that your love is so strong.
Love can build cities and cause wars.
You experiance so much in you life in love and without those experiances, and have lost the love, you have the knowledge to keep on living without love, or if you fall in love again, you have that experiance, which can make it all the better !

Answer 4

Depending on a persons out look. I say yes he is right. Love is a great feeling. A life that has never experienced love has never known the rush in anticipation to see their beloved or the gratification to share a smile. They have never given or received the one thing that drives people to war, peace, and change.

Answer 5

ben gibbard once wrote "the gift of memory's an awful curse, with age it just gets much worse...but i wont mind". i believe shakespeare and ben are both right, it is better to have loved and lost because even though the memories of lost love may cause you pain, chances are you wouldnt give them up if you could,

Answer 6

I can't state a definitive "right" but this feels "right" to me. I've loved, & been loved by many--I've also "lost." Yet I don't really consider it loss, as much as I consider how lucky I was to have them in my life, & there isn't truly a sense of loss, since their "echo" is always with me. This includes cat & dog companions. Family. Friends & lovers. Since love isn't finite, with always more to cherish & give, hmmm. Okay. It's better to love; I don't agree with "lost." Love cannot be lost.

Answer 7

Without a doubt he is. When love ends, or you lose your loved one, the memories will tear you apart. There will be times when you wish that you had never heard of the person whom you loved, but at the same time, you would never trade the memories that you share with the person. Everytime you relive the memories it feels as though your heart is a dishcloth and someone is wringing it out, but at the same time the sweetness of them make you happy. Eventually the wringing feeling will fade, but the sweetness will always remain.

Answer 8

I believe that it is true.

But it wasn't Shakespeare who wrote this, it was Saint Augustine.

Answer 9

Of course he's right. God intended for us to experience love. To not experience love, even if it is destined to be lost, would be to not live fully.

Answer 10

There is another saying that goes "You can never truely miss what you've never had", so to answer your question I think it's better to never have loved. Who needs the potential lifetime of hurt and all the trauma that occurs from it. Isn't it better to be oblivious?