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William Shakespeare Quotes

Writer

William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in history, whose works have shaped literature, language, and storytelling for centuries. His words explore love, ambition, power, tragedy, and the complexity of human nature. The following quotes capture Shakespeare’s timeless insight and the enduring relevance of his poetic genius.
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If [God] send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening ...
From Much Ado About Nothing
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O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
From The Tempest
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So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
From Richard III
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O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest,
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
From Romeo and Juliet
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Where is Polonius?
HAMLET
In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.
From Hamlet
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But thoughts the slave of life, and life, Time’s fool,
And Time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop.
From King Henry IV, Part 1
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My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the king.
HAMLET The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing -
GUILDENSTERN A thing my lord?
HAMLET Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after!
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Too much of water hast thou poor Ophelia, and therefore I forbid my tears.
But yet it is our trick, let shame say what it will. when these are gone the women will be out!
Adieu my lord, I have a speech of fire that fane would blaze,
But that this folly doubts it.
From Hamlet
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Mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes.
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Make death proud to take us.
From Antony and Cleopatra
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we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end.
CLAUDIUS Alas, alas.
HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
CLAUDIUS What dost thou mean by this?
HAMLET Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.
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O my love, my wife!
Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
From Romeo and Juliet
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Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.
From Romeo and Juliet
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We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
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Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.
From Romeo and Juliet
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O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell;
When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend
In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh?
Was ever book containing such vile matter
So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell
In such a gorgeous palace!
From Romeo and Juliet
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Of all the wonders that I have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
(Act II, Scene 2)
From Julius Caesar
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Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
Make dust our paper and with rainy eyes
Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth,
Let's choose executors and talk of wills
From Richard II
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Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
  So do our minutes hasten to their end;
  Each changing place with that which goes before,
  In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
  Nativity, once in the main of light,
  Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
  Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
  And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
  Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
  And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
  Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
  And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
    And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand.
    Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
From The Sonnets and Narrative Poems
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Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him,
And all their ministers attend on him.
From Richard III
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If [God] send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening ...
From Much Ado About Nothing
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O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
From The Tempest
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
From Richard III
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest,
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Where is Polonius?
HAMLET
In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.
From Hamlet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
But thoughts the slave of life, and life, Time’s fool,
And Time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop.
From King Henry IV, Part 1
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the king.
HAMLET The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing -
GUILDENSTERN A thing my lord?
HAMLET Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after!
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Too much of water hast thou poor Ophelia, and therefore I forbid my tears.
But yet it is our trick, let shame say what it will. when these are gone the women will be out!
Adieu my lord, I have a speech of fire that fane would blaze,
But that this folly doubts it.
From Hamlet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Make death proud to take us.
From Antony and Cleopatra
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end.
CLAUDIUS Alas, alas.
HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
CLAUDIUS What dost thou mean by this?
HAMLET Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O my love, my wife!
Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell;
When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend
In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh?
Was ever book containing such vile matter
So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell
In such a gorgeous palace!
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Of all the wonders that I have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
(Act II, Scene 2)
From Julius Caesar
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
Make dust our paper and with rainy eyes
Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth,
Let's choose executors and talk of wills
From Richard II
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
  So do our minutes hasten to their end;
  Each changing place with that which goes before,
  In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
  Nativity, once in the main of light,
  Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
  Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
  And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
  Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
  And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
  Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
  And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
    And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand.
    Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
From The Sonnets and Narrative Poems
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him,
And all their ministers attend on him.
From Richard III
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If [God] send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening ...
From Much Ado About Nothing
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
From The Tempest
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
From Richard III
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest,
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Where is Polonius?
HAMLET
In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.
From Hamlet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
But thoughts the slave of life, and life, Time’s fool,
And Time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop.
From King Henry IV, Part 1
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the king.
HAMLET The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing -
GUILDENSTERN A thing my lord?
HAMLET Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after!
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Too much of water hast thou poor Ophelia, and therefore I forbid my tears.
But yet it is our trick, let shame say what it will. when these are gone the women will be out!
Adieu my lord, I have a speech of fire that fane would blaze,
But that this folly doubts it.
From Hamlet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Make death proud to take us.
From Antony and Cleopatra
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end.
CLAUDIUS Alas, alas.
HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
CLAUDIUS What dost thou mean by this?
HAMLET Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O my love, my wife!
Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!
Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!
Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!
Despised substance of divinest show!
Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st,
A damned saint, an honourable villain!
O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell;
When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend
In mortal paradise of such sweet flesh?
Was ever book containing such vile matter
So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell
In such a gorgeous palace!
From Romeo and Juliet
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Of all the wonders that I have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
(Act II, Scene 2)
From Julius Caesar
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
Make dust our paper and with rainy eyes
Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth,
Let's choose executors and talk of wills
From Richard II
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
  So do our minutes hasten to their end;
  Each changing place with that which goes before,
  In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
  Nativity, once in the main of light,
  Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
  Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
  And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
  Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
  And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
  Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
  And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
    And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand.
    Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
From The Sonnets and Narrative Poems
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him,
And all their ministers attend on him.
From Richard III
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
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