Shakespeare, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers the world has ever known, has left us with a treasure trove of quotes that speak to the human condition in ways that remain remarkably relevant today. Whether addressing love, ambition, betrayal, or the mysteries of existence, his ability to capture emotion and intellect in words is unparalleled. This article celebrates 10 distinct themes within his works by gathering his most notable quotes and organizing them into digestible categories. These quotes are more than phrases; they’re windows into the timeless truths of the human spirit.
Quotes About Love
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." – A Midsummer Night's Dream
"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." – Sonnet 18
"The course of true love never did run smooth." – A Midsummer Night's Dream
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite." – Romeo and Juliet
"If music be the food of love, play on." – Twelfth Night
"Speak low if you speak love." – Much Ado About Nothing
"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." – Twelfth Night
"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?" – As You Like It
"Journeys end in lovers meeting." – Twelfth Night
"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs." – Romeo and Juliet
"This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet." – Romeo and Juliet
"We loved with a love that was more than love." – Derived from many romantic themes within The Bard’s works
Quotes About Life
"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players." – As You Like It
"To be, or not to be, that is the question." – Hamlet
"When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools." – King Lear
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." – Hamlet
"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 web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together." – All’s Well That Ends Well
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." – As You Like It
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once." – Julius Caesar
"Sweet are the uses of adversity." – As You Like It
"This above all: to thine own self be true." – Hamlet
"Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners." – Othello
"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit." – Twelfth Night
Quotes About Ambition
"Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other." – Macbeth
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall." – Measure for Measure
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." – Twelfth Night
"Things done well and with a care, exempt themselves from fear." – Henry VIII
"Ambition should be made of sterner stuff." – Julius Caesar
"How far that little candle throws his beams!" – The Merchant of Venice
"For I can raise no money by vile means." – Julius Caesar
"What is past is prologue." – The Tempest
"Conscience doth make cowards of us all." – Hamlet
"When valour preys on reason, it eats the sword it fights with." – Antony and Cleopatra
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast." – Romeo and Juliet
"Ill deeds are doubled with an evil word." – The Comedy of Errors
Quotes About Betrayal
"Et tu, Brute?" – Julius Caesar
"There’s daggers in men’s smiles." – Macbeth
"The trust I have is in mine innocence, and therefore am I bold and resolute." – Henry VIII
"Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." – Macbeth
"One may smile, and smile, and be a villain." – Hamlet
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." – Macbeth
"Men’s evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water." – Henry VIII
"The robb’d that smiles steals something from the thief." – Othello
"Frailty, thy name is woman!" – Hamlet
"There is no terror in your threats; for I am armed so strong in honesty." – Julius Caesar
"A peace is of the nature of a conquest." – Henry IV, Part II
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t." – Hamlet
Quotes About Power
"O, it is excellent to have a giant’s strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant." – Measure for Measure
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." – Henry IV, Part II
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." – Hamlet
"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power." – Julius Caesar
"What a piece of work is man!" – Hamlet
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." – Often inferred from Shakespeare’s tragedies
"Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge." – Titus Andronicus
"He that dies pays all debts." – The Tempest
"Time is the nurse and breeder of all good." – Two Gentleman of Verona
"What wound did ever heal but by degrees?" – Othello
"Death lies on her like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the field." – Romeo and Juliet
"Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits." – Macbeth
Quotes About Wisdom
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." – The Merry Wives of Windsor
"There is no darkness but ignorance." – Twelfth Night
"Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven." – Henry VI, Part II
"Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful." – Measure for Measure
"The better part of valour is discretion." – Henry IV, Part I
"How poor are they that have not patience!" – Othello
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." – Julius Caesar
"No legacy is so rich as honesty." – All’s Well That Ends Well
"The empty vessel makes the loudest sound." – Henry V
"Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast." – The Comedy of Errors
"Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly." – Romeo and Juliet
"Pleasure and action make the hours seem short." – Othello
Quotes About Friendship
"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find." – Sonnet 30
"A friend is one that knows you as you are." – All’s Well That Ends Well
"Keep thy friend Under thy own life’s key." – All’s Well That Ends Well
"I am wealthy in my friends." – Timon of Athens
"The fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it." – Much Ado About Nothing
"Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people." – Henry VIII
"True friends appear less moved than counterfeit friends." – Julius Caesar
"He that loves to be flattered is worthy of the flatterer." – Timon of Athens
"The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel." – Hamlet
"Trust not for beauty’s sake." – The Taming of the Shrew
"In time we hate that which we often fear." – Antony and Cleopatra
"Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love." – Much Ado About Nothing.
Final words
The works of William Shakespeare offer us an unparalleled window into humanity's complexities. By exploring key themes like love, life, ambition, and power, these quotes continue to resonate deeply with audiences across continents and generations. Each word demonstrates his genius: compact but loaded with meaning, lyrical yet direct. It’s no wonder his sayings have become embedded in the fabric of modern speech, transforming literature into timeless wisdom. May the bard’s musings inspire and guide us, as relevant today as they were in the Elizabethan era. Truly, "he was not of an age, but for all time."
