Skip to content

William Shakespeare on Truth

1564–1616 England

← All quotes by William Shakespeare

16 quotes

Time's glory is to calm contending kings,
To unmask falsehood, and bring truth to light.

They breathe truth that breathe their words in pain.

Richard II (1595)

That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.

But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Mark now, how a plain tale shall put you down.

Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As 'twere retail'd to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day.

Richard III (1591)

Truth is truth
To the end of reckoning.

Measure for Measure (1603)

If circumstances lead me, I will find
Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed
Within the centre.

Truth needs no colour, with his colour fix'd;
Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay;
But best is best, if never intermix'd.

Tell truth and shame the devil.
If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,
And I'll be sworn I have power to shame him hence.

When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies.

To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill.

What, can the devil speak true?

Macbeth (1605)

But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.

Macbeth (1605)

Attribution

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