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William Shakespeare on Prayer

1564–1616 England

← All quotes by William Shakespeare

13 quotes

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart, with strings of steel,
Be soft as sinews of the new-born babe.

If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

Othello (1603)

I am that way going to temptation,
Where prayers cross.

Measure for Measure (1603)

Relieved by prayer which pierces so, that it assaults mercy itself and frees all faults. As you from crimes would pardon'd be, Let your indulgence set me free.

All his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Ave-Maries on his beads.

His worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way; but nobody but has his fault; but let that pass.

When I would pray and think, I think and pray
To several subjects; Heaven hath my empty words.

Measure for Measure (1603)

I do beseech you—
Chiefly, that I might set it in my prayers—
What is your name?

Well, if my wind were but long enough to say my prayers, I would repent.

Go with me, like good angels, to my end;
And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,
And lift my soul to heaven.

Henry VIII (1613)

Rather let my head
Stoop to the block than these knees bow to any
Save to the God of heaven and to my king.

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)

Attribution

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