William Shakespeare Quotes

1564–1616 England

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

England
Actors
Playwrights
Poets

Also known as: Shakespeare, Shakespeare, William, Shakespearean, Shakspeare

Random William Shakespeare quote

2,353 quotes

What a frosty-spirited rogue is this!

Misery makes sport to mock itself.

Richard II (1595)

The brain may devise laws for the blood; but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel, the cripple.

You who wear out a good wholesome forenoon in hearing a cause between an orange-wife and a fosset-seller; and then rejourn the controversy of three pence to a second day of audience.

If that the heavens do not their visible spirits
Send quickly down to tame these vile offenses,
It will come:
Humanity must perforce prey on itself,
Like monsters of the deep.

O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!
The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword!

Good-night, good-night! parting is such sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good-night till it be morrow.

Romeo and Juliet (1597)

How, in one house,
Should many people, under two commands,
Hold amity? 'Tis hard; almost impossible.

King Lear (1608)

But, I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to dispense;
For policy sits above conscience.

'Tis a good hearing, when children are toward.
But a harsh hearing, when women are froward.

Hail to thee, lady! and the grace of heaven,
Before, behind thee and on every hand,
Enwheel thee round!

Othello (1603)

His hair is of a good colour.
An excellent colour; your chestnut was ever the only colour.

Alas, poor man! grief has so wrought on him,
He takes false shadows for true substances.

This fellow is wise enough to play the fool;
And to do that well craves a kind of wit.

Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know
When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul
Lends the tongue vows.

Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided
'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man. I’ll slash, I’ll do it by the sword.

Now he'll outstare the lightning. To be furious
Is to be frightened out of fear.

No, the world must be peopled. When I said, I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.

Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?
Draw near them in being merciful;
Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Shakespeare (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.