William Shakespeare Quotes on Life (96 Quotes)

And, besides, the King
Hath not deserv'd my service nor your loves,
Who find in my exile the want of breeding,
The certainty of this hard life; aye hopeless
To have the courtesy your cradle promis'd,
But to be still hot summer's tanlings and
The shrinking slaves of winter.

But thought's the slave of life, and life time's foolAnd time, that takes survey of all the world,Must have a stop.

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together our virtues would be proud if our faults whipped them not and our crimes would despair if they were not cherished by our own virtues.

Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care, The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast.

He loves you, on my life, and holds you dear
As Harry Duke of Hereford, were he here.

O, this life; Is nobler than attending for a check, Richer than doing nothing for a bribe, Prouder than rustling in unpaid-for silk.

Where is my other life?

But so much was our love
We would not understand what was most fit,
But, like the owner of a foul disease,
To keep it from divulging, let it feed
Even on the pith of life.

So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the ground;
And for the peace of you I hold such strife
As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found.

Have I commandment on the pulse of life?

There is a kind of character in thy life, That to the observer doth thy history Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings Are not thine own so proper as to waste Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee. Heaven doth with us as we with torches do, Not light them for themselves for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike As if we had them not.

Call thyself sister, sweet, for I am thee;
Thee will I love, and with thee lead my life;
Thou hast no husband yet, nor I no wife.

Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost,
Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd,
Brief abstract and record of tedious days,
Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth, [Sitting down]
Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood.

Madam, this service I have done for you,
Though you respect not aught your servant doth,
To hazard life, and rescue you from him
That would have forc'd your honour and your love.

There's nothing in this world can make me joy Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man And bitter shame hath spoil'd the sweet world's taste That it yields nought but shame and bitterness.

So is he mine, and in such bloody distance
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near'st of life; and though I could
With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine,
Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall
Who I myself struck down.

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.

For the life to come, I sleep out the thought of it.

I bear a charmed life.

Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I pray,
That I may live and say 'The dog is dead.

O gentlemen the time of life is short To spend that shortness basely were too long, If life did ride upon a dials point, Still ending at the arrival of an hour.

All is but toys renown, and grace, is dead The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this vault to brag of

I fear, too early; for my mind misgives
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life, clos'd in my breast,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

For mine own part, I could be well content; To entertain the lag-end of my life; With quiet hours.

As I hope
For quiet days, fair issue, and long life,
With such love as 'tis now, the murkiest den,
The most opportune place, the strong'st suggestion
Our worser genius can, shall never melt
Mine honour into lust, to take away
The edge of that day's celebration,
When I shall think or Phoebus' steeds are founder'd
Or Night kept chain'd below.

My desolation does begin to make
A better life.

Wert thou bear, thou wouldst be kill'd by
the horse; wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seiz'd by the
leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and
the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life.

His life was gentle, and the elements So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, This was a man

Thou kill'st me in his life; giving him breath,
The traitor lives, the true man's put to death.

Life is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.

Farewell, old Gaunt; thy sometimes brother's wife,
With her companion, Grief, must end her life.

It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,
To be produced- as, if I stay, I shall-
Against the Moor; for I do know, the state,
However this may gall him with some check,
Cannot with safety cast him, for he's embark'd
With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,
Which even now stands in act, that, for their souls,
Another of his fathom they have none
To lead their business; in which regard,
Though I do hate him as I do hell pains,
Yet for necessity of present life,
I must show out a flag and sign of love,
Which is indeed but sign.

Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, Where death's approach is seen so terrible.

Now stand you on the top of happy hours,
And many maiden gardens yet unset,
With virtuous wish would bear you living flowers,
Much liker than your painted counterfeit:
So should the lines of life that life repair
Which this, Time's pencil, or my pupil pen
Neither in inward worth nor outward fair
Can make you live your self in eyes of men.

Your name from hence immortal life shall have,
Though I, once gone, to all the world must die;
The earth can yield me but a common grave,
When you entombèd in men's eyes shall lie.

Revenge it, as you love your mother's life,
Or be ye not henceforth call'd my children.

The jury, passing on the prisoner's life, may in the sworn twelve have a thief or two guiltier than him they try

Our life is short, but to expand that span to vast eternity is virtue's work.

Nature that made thee, with herself at strife, Saith that the world hath ending with thy life.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As mans ingratitude Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude. Heigh-ho sing, heigh-ho unto the green holly Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly. Then heigh-ho the holly This life is most jolly. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, That dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot Though thou the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp As friend rememberd not.

Be absolute for death; either death or life
Shall thereby be the sweeter.

And my poor fool is hanged No, no, no life Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all Thoult come no more, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Pray you, undo this button.

Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts:
If I could write the beauty of your eyes,
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say, "This poet lies,
Such heavenly touches ne'er touched earthly faces.

Upon my life, by some device or other
The villain is o'erraught of all my money.

We are such stuff As dreams are made of, And our little life Is rounded with a sleep.

I will tell you-he beat me grievously
in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of man, Master
Brook, I fear not Goliath with a weaver's beam; because
I know also life is a shuttle.