What mean these masterless and gory swords
To lie discolour'd by this place of peace?
William Shakespeare on Veterans Day
1564–1616 England
← All quotes by William Shakespeare
76 quotes
By this sword, he that makes the first thrust, I’ll kill him; by this sword, I will.
Henry V (1599)
To reap the harvest of perpetual peace,
By this one bloody trial of sharp war.
Richard III (1591)
I’ll make thee eat iron like an ostrich, and swallow my sword like a great pin.
I am a soldier and unapt to weep
Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness.
O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
Troilus and Cressida (1602)
O, the blood more stirs
To rouse a lion than to start a hare!
He has been bred i’ th’ wars
Since he could draw a sword.
My sword should shed hot blood, mine eyes no tears.
Full bravely hast thou flesh’d
Thy maiden sword.
Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law.
The sword is out
That must destroy thee.
I would make him eat a piece of my sword.
Fie, my Lord, fie! a soldier, and afear'd?
Macbeth (1605)
What's brave, what's noble,
Let's do it after the high Roman fashion,
And make death proud to take us.
Never yet did base dishonour blur our name
But with our sword we wiped away the blot.
I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion
I would have made them skip.
Attribution
Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Shakespeare (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.