That's great. In my case, the person said he needed the money because of a rent payment deadline, but then something else happened such that he could make the d

That's great. In my case, the person said he needed the money because of a rent payment deadline, but then something else happened such that he could make the deadline anyway, so he spent the money I'd lent him on jewelry for his girlfriend, with no regard for the reason I lent it to him. I lent it to him because of what I thought was a need, and then he used it merely to pamper his GF, and made no motion toward paying me back. Later in his life he went to prison for a year (for unrelated reasons). I think the positive experiences people are presenting are great. I don't think the Hamlet quote is remotely a hard-and-fast rule, but it does embody a principle that is worth stating, and which can be useful food for thought in making a lending decision.