William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest playwright in the English language, has left behind a legacy of timeless quotes that continue to resonate across generations. His profound understanding of human nature is reflected in his works, making his quotes relevant even today. In this article, we explore ten different themes drawn from Shakespeare's vast repertoire, each accompanied by twelve quotes that exemplify the brilliance of his writing. The following collections capture Shakespeare's thoughts on love, life, wisdom, and the human condition, serving as a reminder of the enduring power of his words. As you delve into these quotes, consider how they might apply to your own experiences and perspectives, and allow them to inspire and provoke thought in your everyday life.
Inspirational Quotes
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."
"This above all: to thine own self be true."
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."
"Action is eloquence."
"Thought is free."
"The golden age is before us, not behind us."
Love Quotes
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
"If music be the food of love, play on."
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep."
"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew."
"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."
"What is love? 'tis not hereafter; Present mirth hath present laughter; What's to come is still unsure."
"You cannot call it love, for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame."
"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek!"
"They do not love that do not show their love."
Wisdom Quotes
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice."
"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit."
"Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving."
"Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?"
"Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind."
"The better part of Valor, is Discretion."
"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
"All that glisters is not gold."
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
Life Quotes
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
"Life is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man."
"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."
"The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief."
"When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools."
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."
"How use doth breed a habit in a man!"
"What's done can't be undone."
"In time we hate that which we often fear."
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."
"The time of life is short; to spend that shortness basely were too long."
Friendship Quotes
"Friendship is constant in all other things Save in the office and affairs of love."
"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find."
"A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow."
"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money."
"Forget not in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile curse."
"Friendship is constant in all other things Save in the office and affairs of love."
"The wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"A jest's prosperity lies in the ear Of him that hears it, never in the tongue Of him that makes it."
"Talkers are no good doers."
"Having nothing, nothing can he lose."
"He that is giddy thinks the world turns round."
"The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life."
Fate and Destiny Quotes
"Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered."
"A fool’s bolt is soon shot."
"The wheel is come full circle."
"The flame of anger kindles scourge of war."
"It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions."
"Men at some time are masters of their fates."
"Fate, show thy force; ourselves we do not owe; What is decreed must be; and be this so!"
"My stars shine darkly over me."
"O God, I could be bound in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams."
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
"What is decreed must be; and be this so!"
"Each new morn new widows howl, new orphans cry."
Quotes on Time
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."
"Make use of time, let not advantage slip."
"I wasted time, and now doth time waste me."
"A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age."
"Time's the king of men; he's both their parent, and he is their grave, and gives them what he will, not what they crave."
"Time and tide wait for no man."
"With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder."
"And thereby hangs a tale."
"The time of life is short; to spend that shortness basely were too long."
"What's gone and what's past help Should be past grief."
"What's done is done."
"Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings."
Quotes on Women
"Frailty, thy name is woman!"
"O, most delicate fiend! Who is't that can but see thee and knows thee not?"
"Women may fall when there's no strength in men."
"She is a fair lady, but she has too much light."
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
"A woman's face with nature's own hand painted."
"A merry heart goes all the day."
"I do take you to be a woman, and my hopes are that you will not be deceived."
"The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say."
"I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people."
"O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on."
"As for the women, though they may make vows to keep them, in fact they do not."
Quotes on War and Conflict
"Let me see Thee in war, then will I love thee afterwards."
"In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility."
"Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war."
"The peace of Bellona is far removed."
"A yoke of inauspicious stars has said that war is coming."
"And thus we drown our thoughts of war by drowning our sense in wine."
"Wars grown red with slaughter have this beauty, that adversity sharpens human love."
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"This is not the face of war that I love."
"A soldier loves his Shakespeare best when war is coming."
"From woman's wit this warlike act was won."
"We shall fight, seize the hour, and sound the bell."
Philosophical Quotes
"Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast."
"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
"Nothing will come of nothing."
"Can one desire too much of a good thing?"
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."
"Words without thoughts never to heaven go."
"When they speak to me, I trust my senses and reason."
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once."
Final words
William Shakespeare's quotes, deeply rooted in the human experience, continue to provide wisdom and insight into the complexities of life. His ability to capture the essence of human emotions and dilemmas is unparalleled, offering timeless reflections on love, fate, wisdom, and conflict. By weaving intricate narratives with profound understanding, Shakespeare's works transcend the barriers of time, touching the lives of readers centuries after they were composed. As the curtains fall on this collection of quotes, we are reminded of the universality of his themes and the relevance of his observations in contemporary contexts. Let these words serve as a beacon, guiding us through our own passages of life, and encouraging introspection and a deeper appreciation of the artistic legacy left by the Bard of Avon. Shakespeare's eloquence remains a testament to the enduring power of literature to mirror our own struggles, triumphs, and aspirations, affirming the profound impact of his timeless prose.
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