William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1600-02), Act IV, scene 7, line 142.
“
I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratch'd withal.
— William Shakespeare on Quackery
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratch'd withal." in the context of "William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1600-02), Act IV, scene 7, line 142." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Quackery" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.
View all quotes →