Immortal Wisdom: 100 Famous Quotes by Shakespeare
Introduction:
In the vast landscape of English literature, William Shakespeare stands as a colossus, his words reverberating through the centuries with timeless wisdom, wit, and insight. From tragic soliloquies to comedic banter, Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are replete with unforgettable lines that have seeped into the collective consciousness of humanity. Let’s explore through 100 of Shakespeare’s most famous quotes, each a gem of language and meaning that continues to captivate and inspire.
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” – Hamlet
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” – As You Like, It
“All that glisters is not gold.” – The Merchant of Venice
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Romeo and Juliet
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
“To thine own self be true.” – Hamlet
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” – The Tempest
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” – Julius Caesar
“All the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him by inch-meal a disease!” – The Tempest
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” – Hamlet
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” – Hamlet
“The better part of valor is discretion.” – Henry IV, Part 1
“If music be the food of love, play on.” – Twelfth Night
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” – Hamlet
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.” – Twelfth Night
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” – Julius Caesar
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” – Macbeth
“To sleep, perchance to dream.” – Hamlet
“What’s done is done.” – Macbeth
“The better part of valour is discretion.” – Henry IV, Part 1
“All that glitters is not gold.” – The Merchant of Venice
“Frailty, thy name is woman!” – Hamlet
“Brevity is the soul of wit.” – Hamlet
“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” – King Lear
“The miserable have no other medicine but only hope.” – Measure for Measure
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” – The Merchant of Venice
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” – Othello
“I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed.” – William Shakespeare
“This is the very ecstasy of love.” – Hamlet
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” – The Tempest
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – As You Like It
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” – Henry IV, Part 2
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” – Henry VI, Part 2
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Hamlet
“If we are marked to die, we are enough to do our country loss; and if to live, the fewer men, the greater share of honour.” – Henry V
“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” – Romeo and Juliet
“All’s well that ends well.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” – Julius Caesar
“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” – Romeo and Juliet
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” – The Merry Wives of Windsor
“What’s past is prologue.” – The Tempest
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” – Romeo and Juliet
“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” – Romeo and Juliet
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” – As You Like It
“The quality of mercy is not strained.” – The Merchant of Venice
“The wheel is come full circle.” – King Lear
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – As You Like It
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” – The Merchant of Venice
“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” – Romeo and Juliet
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” – Julius Caesar
“A horse! a horse! My kingdom for a horse!” – Richard III
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.” – Hamlet
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” – Hamlet
“We know what we are, but not what we may be.” – Hamlet
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” – Hamlet
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Hamlet
“What’s done is done.” – Macbeth
“The better part of valour is discretion.” – Henry IV, Part 1
“All that glitters is not gold.” – The Merchant of Venice
“Frailty, thy name is woman!” – Hamlet
“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.” – Hamlet
“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief.” – Othello
“Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” – Twelfth Night
“In time we hate that which we often fear.” – Antony and Cleopatra
“This is the very ecstasy of love.” – Hamlet
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Romeo and Juliet
“If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.” – Julius Caesar
“There is no darkness but ignorance.” – Twelfth Night
“Men of few words are the best men.” – Henry V
“I bear a charmed life.” – Macbeth
“There are no tricks in plain and simple faith.” – Henry V
“When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.” – Richard II
“The golden age is before us, not behind us.” – Julius Caesar
“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” – Hamlet
“The quality of mercy is not strained.” – The Merchant of Venice
“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.” – Macbeth
“The miserable have no other medicine but only hope.” – Measure for Measure
“The earth has music for those who listen.” – The Merchant of Venice
“The readiness is all.” – Hamlet
“To do a great right do a little wrong.” – The Merchant of Venice
“The love that follows us sometimes is our trouble, which still we thank as love.” – Macbeth
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
“There is no darkness but ignorance.” – Twelfth Night
“Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.” – Twelfth Night
“All’s well that ends well.” – All’s Well That Ends Well
“The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.” – Henry V
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – As You Like It
“Suit the action to the word, the word to the action.” – Hamlet
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.” – Henry VI, Part 2
“All things are ready, if our minds be so.” – Henry V
“Nothing will come of nothing.” – King Lear
“What’s gone and what’s past help should be past grief.” – The Winter’s Tale
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” – Measure for Measure
“Love is a spirit all compact of fire.” – Venus and Adonis
“Brevity is the soul of wit.” – Hamlet
In exploring these 100 famous quotes by William Shakespeare, we’ve plumbed the profound depths of human emotion, intellect, and experience. Shakespeare’s words continue to resonate, offering insights into love, ambition, betrayal, and the complexities of the human condition. As we reflect on these timeless lines, we’re reminded of the enduring power of literature to inspire, provoke thought, and illuminate the beauty of life itself.
