And live a coward in thine own esteem
Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,”
Like the poor cat i’ the adage.
– William Shakespeare
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7. Lady Macbeth wants her husband to prove his manhood by murdering King Duncan. In her bid to manipulate him she challenges him to prove his masculinity by carrying out the deed. She mocks him with a simile likening him to the cowardly cat who wants fish but is afraid to get its feet web.