1. Physical Pain: Sting can refer to the sharp, painful sensation caused by the bite or sting of an insect or animal, such as a bee, wasp, or scorpion. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo laments, "This be but scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough, / Where it doth hate the honor of my mistress."
2. Emotional Pain: Sting can also be used metaphorically to describe emotional or psychological pain, anguish, or distress. For example, in Sonnet 116, Shakespeare writes, "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom. / If this be error and upon me proved, / I never writ, nor no man ever loved." Here, the sting refers to the emotional suffering caused by the speaker's doubt about the permanence of love.
3. Provocation: Sting can refer to an act or remark that is intended to provoke or incite someone, often causing anger or resentment. For example, in Henry IV, Part 1, Hotspur says, "By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap / To pluck bright honor from the pale-fac'd moon; / Or dive into the bottom of the deep, / Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, / And pluck up drowned honor by the locks; / So he that doth redeem her thence might wear / Without corrival all her dignities: / But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship!" In this context, Hotspur's words are intended to sting his fellow soldiers into action and inspire them to fight for honor.
4. Remorse or Regret: In some cases, sting can refer to the feeling of remorse, guilt, or regret for one's actions. For example, in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth expresses her guilt, saying, "Out, damned spot! out, I say! —One, two: why, then 'tis time to do't. —Hell is murky! —Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? —Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?" Here, the sting refers to the psychological torment caused by her conscience and the guilt she feels for her role in Duncan's murder.
Overall, the meaning of "sting" in Shakespeare's works can vary depending on the specific context and the intended emotional or psychological effect that the author wants to convey.