William Shakespeare

What is pious or righteous (morally good) commanded by the gods because it is morally good, or is it pious/righteous because it is commanded by the gods

"To be or not to be, that is the question. Is piety and righteousness inherently good, or is it merely good because the gods command it? Methinks that this conundrum doth speak to the very essence of morality itself. Are we to believe that the gods, in their infinite wisdom, dictate what is pious and righteous merely by their decree? Or is it that the gods, being themselves embodiments of goodness, recognize that which is inherently good and therefore command it? This is a thought that doth vex the mind and stir the soul. For if piety and righteousness are but mere whims of the gods, then do we not run the risk of their caprice leading us astray? But if piety and righteousness are rooted in a moral truth that transcends even the gods themselves, then do we not have a steadfast foundation upon which to build our lives? Methinks that the answer lies not in the whims of the gods, but in the inherent goodness that lies within each of us. For if we are to be pious and righteous, let it be not because we fear the gods' wrath, but because we recognize the goodness that dwells within our own hearts. Let us be guided not by the commands of the gods, but by the moral compass that points us towards the light of truth and virtue. And so, in the end, it is not the gods that make us pious and righteous, but our own inner goodness that shines forth like a beacon in the darkness of the world."