I would say that the statement that the denotation of a word is more important than the connotation is false and that they are both equally important. The denotation is the literal meaning of a word such as found in the dictionary whereas the connotation involves both the negative and positive nuances of the word and the subliminal message it conveys. For example in the play Julius Cesar, one of the characters,I believe Brutus was described as having a "lean and hungry look" suggesting not just that he needed to eat and was perhaps undernourished but also suggesting that his look is rather sinister and that he may have ill intentions in mind.
