William Shakespeare, the iconic bard of Avon, produced an immense body of work that captures the intricacies of human nature. His words, through plays and poetry, have transcended time, shedding light on emotions, relationships, and the complex world of human psychology. The following compilation of quotes captures the essence of Shakespearean thoughts, categorized under specific themes to illuminate his enduring wisdom. Each subtitle is a window into a specific aspect of life, as seen through Shakespeare's astute observations. Dive into this world to rediscover the power and eloquence of language from one of the greatest writers in history.
Love Quotes
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
"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."
"Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs."
"If music be the food of love, play on."
"Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better."
"This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet."
"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow."
Wisdom Quotes
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."
"How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”
"Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind."
"What's done cannot be undone."
"Strong reasons make strong actions."
"No legacy is so rich as honesty."
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
Friendship Quotes
"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."
"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find."
"Friendship is constant in all things save in the office and affairs of love."
"Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends."
"I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends."
"The better part of Valour, is Discretion."
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."
"Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people."
"True friends, though absent, are as present."
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
"Even till now, when men are so simple that they will trade friendship for a rich jewel."
"I am not bound to please thee with my answers."
Life Quotes
"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
"Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man."
"The miserable have no other medicine but only hope."
"The fault, dear Brutus, lies not within our stars, but in ourselves."
"In nature’s infinite book of secrecy a little I can read."
"Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions."
"What a piece of work is a man!"
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."
Power Quotes
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown."
"O! Let us have him, for his silver hairs will purchase us a good opinion."
"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."
"I am not bound to please thee with my answers."
"Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York."
"Speak softly, but carry a big stick."
"Lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."
"He who has not a good memory should never take upon himself the trade of lying."
"Ambition should be made of sterner stuff."
Betrayal Quotes
"Et tu, Brute?"
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
"Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds."
"A serpents tooth is not so sharp as a thankless child."
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
"Frailty, thy name is woman."
"In the end, truth will out."
"O, I am murdered!"
"Many a man's tongue shakes out his master's undoing."
"He is fallen in love with his own shadow."
"I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you."
"Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise."
Courage Quotes
"Fortune favors the brave."
"Boldness be my friend."
"The better part of valor is discretion."
"A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero only one."
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
"Action is eloquence."
"Screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail."
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall."
"Who dares do more is none."
"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."
"The game is up."
"Though she be but little, she is fierce."
Jealousy Quotes
"Beware the green-eyed monster."
"Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ."
"Jealousy is a monster that needs very little to content it."
"Jealous souls will not be answered so."
"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves."
"That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain."
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!"
"A jealous ear hears all things."
"He that is giddy thinks the world turns round."
"Jealousy, thy deadly bane!"
"Jealousy shapes faults that are not."
"Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt."
Justice Quotes
"Though justice be thy plea, consider this: that, in the course of justice, none of us should see salvation."
"The quality of mercy is not strained—it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven."
"This above all: to thine own self be true."
"Lawless are they that make their wills their law."
"Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven."
"No legacy is so rich as honesty."
"Let mercy be seasoned with justice."
"Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness."
"When you do dance, I wish you a wave o' the sea, that you might ever do nothing but that."
"To do a great right, do a little wrong."
"An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told."
"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, and vice sometimes’s by action dignified."
Destiny Quotes
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
"What's past is prologue."
"Men at some time are masters of their fates."
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."
"The wheel has come full circle."
"What’s done cannot be undone."
"The golden age is before us, not behind us."
"O heaven, that we may fear less, yet look more."
"I am not bound to please thee with my answer."
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
"All things are ready if our minds be so."
Final words
In conclusion, Shakespeare's timeless words continue to offer insights that resonate deeply with readers and audiences across the globe. His profound exploration of themes such as love, wisdom, friendship, life, power, betrayal, courage, jealousy, justice, and destiny provides a treasure trove of reflections on the human condition. Each quote encapsulates an enduring truth that, while written centuries ago, remains relevant in today's world. As we engage with these Shakespearean quotes, we're reminded of the power of language to not only entertain but also to reveal the essence of what it means to be human. Let his words inspire, guide, and provoke thought as we navigate the complexities of our own lives, ever mindful of the beauty and wisdom that language can convey.
