
Original artwork, not a still
Was ever book containing such vile matter so fairly bound? O, that deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous palace!
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker laments that something rotten can be wrapped in beauty, comparing a deceitful person to a handsomely bound book with vile content, and a lavish palace hiding dishonesty. The passage is about the painful gap between attractive outward form and ugly inner truth.
Context reviewed





