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
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Playwrights
Poets

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

Random William Shakespeare quote

2,353 quotes

In that day's feats,
* * * * * *
He prov'd best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak.

A man may break a word with you, sir; and words are but wind;
Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not behind.

O, no, no, no! 'tis true. Here, take this too;
[Gives the ring]
It is a basilisk unto mine eye,
Kills me to look on't.

I have touched the highest point of all my greatness:
And, from that full meridian of my glory,
I haste now to my setting.

Henry VIII (1613)

Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me,
Give me thy gold, if thou hast any gold;
For I have bought it with an hundred blows.

Look, here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death:
'Tis now dead midnight, and by eight tomorrow
Thou must be made immortal.

Measure for Measure (1603)

But yesterday the word of Cæsar might
Have stood against the world; now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.

Julius Cæsar (1599)

I do oppose
My patience to his fury, and am arm'd
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.

Blow, wind! come, wrack!
At least we'll die with harness on our back.

Macbeth (1605)

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,
And falls on the other.

Macbeth (1605)

As far as I could ken thy chalky cliffs,
When from thy shore the tempest beat us back,
I stood upon the hatches in the storm.

So many hours must I take my rest;
So many hours must I contemplate.

My tables,—meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark.

Our wills and fates do so contrary run
That our devices still are overthrown;
Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own.

At many times I brought in my accounts,
Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
And say, you found them in mine honesty.

I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear.

I see, Sir, you are liberal in offers:
You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.

You must not think
That we are made of stuff so fat and dull
That we can let our beard be shook with danger
And think it pastime.

My prayers
Are not words duly hallow'd nor my wishes
More worth than empty vanities; yet prayers and wishes
Are all I can return.

Henry VIII (1613)

Malcolm! awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself! up, up, and see
The great doom's image!

Macbeth (1606)

Attribution

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