The quote is: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” from William Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear , Act 1, Scene 4.

Full quote and wording

  • The commonly searched line “how sharper than a serpent’s tooth quote” refers to Lear’s outburst against his daughter Goneril.
  • In standard modern editions of King Lear , the line reads: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!”

Who says it and where

  • Speaker: King Lear, the aging king of Britain.
  • Location in the play: King Lear , Act 1, Scene 4, after Goneril criticizes Lear’s rowdy followers and treats him coldly in her home.

Meaning in simple terms

  • Lear is saying the emotional pain of having an ungrateful child hurts more than a venomous snake bite.
  • The image of the “serpent” also hints that his daughters are treacherous and cruel, setting them up as villainous figures early in the play.

Is it from the Bible?

  • Many people mistakenly think “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth…” is a Bible verse, but it is not biblical.
  • The line is purely Shakespearean, from King Lear , though it has become so famous that it often gets quoted like a proverb.

TL;DR: The “how sharper than a serpent’s tooth quote” is Shakespeare, not the Bible, and the full line is “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” from King Lear Act 1, Scene 4.

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