The phrase "bow in full bent" can also be used in a negative sense, to describe someone who is about to reach a point of no return. For example, in Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," the character Romeo says, "Draw, and stand not between me and my purpose. I am a man of wax; the law is death; and love will make me mad. Let me not live a moment longer after I hear that she is dead; but draw thy sword and let me fall upon thee. I am a bow in full bent, and love is my arrow." This means that Romeo is so desperate to be with Juliet that he is willing to die. He is at the point of no return, and he is about to make a decision that will change the course of his life.