Shakespeare's words have long been cherished for their profound insights into love. From the tenderness of young romance to the passions of deep longing, his timeless lines continue to resonate with readers today. The Bard's eloquence captures the essence of love in its many forms—romantic, tragic, unrequited, and even reconciliatory. In this collection, we've crafted ten distinct themes, each exploring different aspects of love's vast spectrum, reflecting Shakespeare's unparalleled ability to delve into the heart's mysteries. Whether you seek inspiration for a heartfelt message, a moment of introspection, or simply to bask in the beauty of Shakespearean prose, these quotes invite you to explore love's timeless depths and find the words that echo your own sentiments. Dive into our curated selection of Shakespeare love quotes and let his poetic genius guide your understanding and expression of love.
Timeless Romance Quotes
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
"If music be the food of love, play on."
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."
"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."
"I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at."
"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."
"With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out."
"Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love."
"For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings, that then I scorn to change my state with kings."
Quotes on Love's Trials
"Love's reason's without reason."
"Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows."
"Though she be but little, she is fierce."
"I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is not that strange?"
"These violent delights have violent ends."
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
"For where thou art, there is the world itself, and where thou art not, desolation."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
"Love is too young to know what conscience is."
"For I can be bought so dearly as I would not a penny spent which, for your love, the world should have stayed."
"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow."
"Give me my Romeo, and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars."
Inspirational Love Quotes
"To be wise and love exceeds man's might."
"They do not love that do not show their love."
"The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite."
"Speak low if you speak love."
"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better."
"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds."
"I were but little happy if I could say how much."
"Love goes by haps; some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."
"For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds."
"My love is thine to teach; teach it but how, and thou shalt see how apt it is to learn."
"How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath to say to me that thou art out of breath?"
"I can express no kinder sign of love than this kind kiss."
Quotes on Unrequited Love
"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
"Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!"
"She will die if you do not love her, and she will die ere she make her love known."
"I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me."
"No sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved."
"Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
"A woeful sympathy, for your woe is mine, and your woe is mine, and mine is pity."
"One half of me is yours, the other half yours, mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours."
"To weep is to make less the depth of grief."
"I have immortal longings in me."
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
"Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench."
Reconciliation and Forgiveness Quotes
"The better part of valor is discretion."
"Let every man be master of his time."
"Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast."
"For the rain it raineth every day."
"What wound did ever heal but by degrees?"
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall."
"A good heart's worth gold."
"The hand that hath made you fair hath made you good."
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
"Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful."
"The robb'd that smiles steals something from the thief."
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments."
Quotes on the Complexity of Love
"A most pathetical nit."
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
"And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony."
"Love is merely a madness."
"Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love."
"The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, which hurts and is desired."
"Tempt not a desperate man."
"I see that the fashion wears out more apparel than the man."
"But love is blind, and lovers cannot see."
"The art of our necessities is strange."
"Sweet are the uses of adversity."
"The summer's flower is to the summer sweet, though to itself it only live and die."
Playful and Humorous Love Quotes
"I am even the natural fool of fortune."
"I do desire we may be better strangers."
"Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, bear't that the opposed may beware of thee."
"Do you not know I am a woman? when I think, I must speak."
"Better a witty fool than a foolish wit."
"Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find."
"Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood."
"Come, come, for if we be fools, we shall never have pleasure in our lives."
"Shall we dance now the hours to waste with love's tiny feet?"
"Give me your hand, sir; this hand, if it be not a true hand, a plain hand, a friendly hand, a loving hand, or a just hand, I will no longer love it."
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
Quotes Celebrating Eternal Love
"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds."
"Time is very slow for those who wait, very fast for those who are scared, very long for those who lament, very short for those who celebrate. But for those who love, time is eternal."
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety."
"Let me be your servant, though you are no longer worthy of it."
"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"
"Love altereth not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom."
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."
"So true a fool is love, that in your will, though you do anything, he thinks no ill."
"Love to fault in love is like corn grown undone.
"You say, not so, and yet, how can I be sure?"
"The heart, too, falls at the heel of falsehood."
"For I cannot be else, as love is pure as the driven snow."
Quotes on Love's Mystery and Magic
"By this day in love, I have received a wisdom I had not known before."
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
"A friend of mine, a lover whom I never thought could love."
"Sudden light lingers long, blow me a kiss from afar."
"Journeys end in lovers meeting.
"Love's gentle spring doth always show character."
"Heart-thoughts, like wings, soar unto heaven."
"Two of my dearest emotions I need—love and wisdom—to share."
"O great mind, be my sun and moon."
"Oh, how wonderful are the things in the vault of time's embrace."
"The heart in sorrow's voice echoes deep like the ocean's core."
"In love, there is a madness that cannot be dispelled by wisdom."
Tragic and Melancholic Love Quotes
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions."
"The weight of this sad time we must obey."
"For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."
"In black ink, my love was drawn."
"My grief lies onward and my joy behind."
"Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man."
"What's done cannot be undone."
"O this too too solid flesh would melt."
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."
"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."
Final words
Shakespeare's timeless exploration of love continues to capture hearts and minds centuries after his works first premiered. His profound understanding of human emotions and relationships is evident in each quote, reflecting the complex, multifaceted nature of love. Whether highlighting the tenderness of romance, the challenges of unrequited love, the joy of reconciliation, or the tragedies of loss, Shakespeare's words resonate with universal truths and enduring wisdom. His quotes remain a powerful testament to love's enduring power and its ability to inspire, comfort, and transform lives. As you navigate your own journey of love, remember the eloquence and insight of the Bard. Let his words guide you in expressing your feelings and understanding your heart's desires. Shakespeare's legacy is a rich tapestry of poetic brilliance, offering solace and inspiration to those who seek to understand the boundless depths of love. Let these quotes serve as a timeless reminder that love is not only an emotion but an art—one that Shakespeare mastered, and one that continues to inspire and enlighten us all.
