William Shakespeare Quotes

For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!This was the most unkindest cut of all

~ William Shakespeare

Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,And therefore I forbid my tears.

~ William Shakespeare

And will 'a not come again? And will 'a not come again? No, no, he is dead, Go to thy death bed: He will never come again.

~ William Shakespeare

These are the ushers of Martius: before himHe carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears.Death, that dark spirit, in's nervy arm doth lie,Which being advanc'd, declines, and then men die.

~ William Shakespeare

This world's a city full of straying streets, and death's the market-place where each one meets.

~ William Shakespeare

All things that we ordained festival,Turn from their office to black funeral;Our instruments to melancholy bells,Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast,Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change,Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse,And all things change them to the contrary.

~ William Shakespeare

Zu früh, befürcht ich; denn mein Herz erbangtUnd ahnet ein Verhängnis, welches, nochVerborgen in den Sternen, heute NachtBei dieser Lustbarkeit den furchtbarn ZeitlaufBeginnen und das Ziel des läst'gen Lebens,Das meine Brust verschließt, mir kürzen wirdDurch irgendeinen Frevel frühen Todes.Doch er, der mir zur Fahrt das Steuer lenkt,Richt' auch mein Segel!I fear, too early. For my mind misgivesSome consequence, yet hanging in the stars,Shall bitterly begin his fearful dateWith this night's revels, and expire the termOf a despisèd life, closed in my breast,By some vile forfeit of untimely death.But He that hath the steerage of my courseDirect my sail!Romeo: Act I, Scene 4

~ William Shakespeare

Every subject's duty is the King's; but every subject's soul is his own. Therefore, should every soldier in the wars do as every sick man in his bed, wash every mote out of his conscience; and dying so, death is to him advantage; or not dying, the time was blessedly lost wherein such preparation was gained; and in him that escapes, it were no sin to think that, making God so free an offer, He let him outlive the day to see His greatness and to teach others how they should prepare.

~ William Shakespeare

No longer mourn for me when I am deadThan you shall hear the surly sullen bellGive warning to the world that I am fledFrom this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell;Nay, if you read this line, remember notThe hand that writ it; for I love you so,That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot,If thinking on me then would make you woe.

~ William Shakespeare

Remember thee? Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seatin this distracted globe. Remember thee?

~ William Shakespeare

Love is holy.

~ William Shakespeare

There's a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads onto fortune, omitted, all their voyages end in shallows and miseries. Upon such tide are we now...

~ William Shakespeare

През дрипите прозира всеки грях,а мантии и шуби скриват всичко!

~ William Shakespeare

I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.

~ William Shakespeare

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow worldLike a Colossus; and we petty menWalk under his huge legs, and peep aboutTo find ourselves dishonourable graves.

~ William Shakespeare

Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.

~ William Shakespeare

There's an old saying that applies to me: you can't lose a game if you don't play the game. (Act 1, scene 4)

~ William Shakespeare

He that is thy friend indeed,He will help thee in thy need:If thou sorrow, he will weep;If thou wake, he cannot sleep:Thus of every grief in heartHe with thee doth bear a part.These are certain signs to knowFaithful friend from flattering foe.

~ William Shakespeare

Under the greenwood tree,Who loves to lie with meAnd tune his merry note,Unto the sweet bird's throat;Come hither, come hither, come hither.Here shall he seeNo enemyBut winter and rough weather.

~ William Shakespeare

A lover goes toward his beloved as enthusiastically as a schoolboy leaving his books, but when he leaves his girlfriend, he feels as miserable as the schoolboy on his way to school. (Act 2, scene 2)

~ William Shakespeare

All days are nights to see till I see thee, And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

~ William Shakespeare

To me, fair friend, you never can be old,For as you were when first your eye I ey'd, Such seems your beauty still.

~ William Shakespeare

Fondling,' she saith, 'since I have hemm'd thee here Within the circuit of this ivory pale, I'll be a park, and thou shalt be my deer; Feed where thou wilt, on mountain or in dale: Graze on my lips, and if those hills be dry, Stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie.

~ William Shakespeare

Thus weary of the world, away she hies,And yokes her silver doves; by whose swift aidTheir mistress mounted through the empty skiesIn her light chariot quickly is convey'd;Holding their course to Paphos, where their queenMeans to immure herself and not be seen.

~ William Shakespeare

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;Coral is far more red than her lips' red;If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,But no such roses see I in her cheeks;And in some perfumes is there more delightThan in the breath that from my mistress reeks.I love to hear her speak, yet well I knowThat music hath a far more pleasing sound;I grant I never saw a goddess go;My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.

~ William Shakespeare

O, how this spring of love resemblethThe uncertain glory of an April day,Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,And by and by a cloud takes all away!

~ William Shakespeare

I take thee at thy word:Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

~ William Shakespeare

This fellow is wise enough to play the fool;And to do that well craves a kind of wit:He must observe their mood on whom he jests,The quality of persons, and the time,And, like the haggard, check at every featherThat comes before his eye. This is a practiseAs full of labour as a wise man's artFor folly that he wisely shows is fit;But wise men, folly-fall'n, quite taint their wit.

~ William Shakespeare

To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune but to write and read comes by nature.

~ William Shakespeare

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascendThe brightest heaven of invention!

~ William Shakespeare

The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?

~ William Shakespeare

So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceived with ornament.In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,Obscures the show of evil? In religion,What damned error, but some sober browWill bless it and approve it with a text,Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?There is no vice so simple but assumesSome mark of virtue on his outward parts.

~ William Shakespeare

We, ignorant of ourselves,Beg often our own harms, which the wise powersDeny us for our good; so find we profitBy losing of our prayers.

~ William Shakespeare

Modest doubt is call'd the beacon of the wise.

~ William Shakespeare

Come on then, I will swear to study soTo know the thing I am forbid to know- Berowne

~ William Shakespeare

O teach me how I should forget to think (1.1.224)

~ William Shakespeare

Educated men are so impressive!

~ William Shakespeare

Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.

~ William Shakespeare

If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,By self-example mayst thou be denied.

~ William Shakespeare

Master, go on, and I will follow theeTo the last gasp with truth and loyalty.

~ William Shakespeare