William Shakespeare Quotes (3360 Quotes)

There's no better sign of a brave mind than a hard hand.

Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead excessive grief the enemy of the living.

This is the most despiteful'st gentle greeting
The noblest hateful love, that e'er I heard of.

I will a round unvarnished tale deliver.

The most peaceable way for you, if you do take a thief, is, to let him show himself what he is and steal out of your company.

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.

For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth.

Never go home; here starve we out the night.

The worst fault you have is to be in love.

Well, Gods above all and there be souls must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved.

Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne
To tyrannous hate!

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

Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried.

I
disprais'd him before the wicked- that the wicked might not fall
in love with thee; in which doing, I have done the part of a
careful friend and a true subject; and thy father is to give me
thanks for it.

The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long.

Were't not affection chains thy tender days
To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love,
I rather would entreat thy company
To see the wonders of the world abroad,
Than, living dully sluggardiz'd at home,
Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.

So we grow together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet an union in partition Two lovely berries moulded on one stem So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart.

This is the way to kill a wife with kindness.

Venus salutes him with this fair good-morrow;
"O thou clear god, and patron of all light,
From whom each lamp and shining star doth borrow
The beauteous influence that makes him bright,
There lives a son that suck'd an earthly mother,
May lend thee light, as thou dost lend to other.

I wish you joy o' the worm.

How love to me and to her son
Hath made her break out into terms of rage!

If your mind dislike anything, obey it.

She did deceive her father, marrying you;
And when she seem'd to shake and fear your looks,
She loved them most.

Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.

How all the other passions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac'd despair,
And shudd'ring fear, and green-ey'd jealousy!

Fair Katherine, and most fair,
Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms
Such as will enter at a lady's ear,
And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?

... your noble son is mad Mad call I it for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad But let that go.

O, they love least that let men know their love.

Man's nature cannot carry
Th' affliction nor the fear.

I do desire to learn, sir; and I hope, if you have occasion
to use me for your own turn, you shall find me yare; for truly,
sir, for your kindness I owe you a good turn.

Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections,
passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed
and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?

Alas, their love may be call'd appetite-
No motion of the liver, but the palate-
That suffer surfeit, cloyment, and revolt;
But mine is all as hungry as the sea,
And can digest as much.

Faith, so they say; but I think it rather consists of
eating and drinking.

The worst is death, and death will have his day.

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

The king-becoming graces,
As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,
Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
I have no relish of them, but abound
In the division of each several crime,
Acting it many ways.

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.

Maids want nothing but husbands, and when they have them, they want everything.

Then, England's ground, farewell; sweet soil, adieu;
My mother, and my nurse, that bears me yet!

For love of God, forbear him!

But love is blind, and lovers cannot see What petty follies they themselves commit

Sister, you know he promis'd me a chain;
Would that alone a love he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Though authority be stubborn as a bear, yet he is oft led by the nose with gold.

The big round tears Coursd one another down his innocent nose, In piteous chase.

Is this a dagger which I see before me The handle toward my hand.

That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

What gone without a word Ay, so true love should do it cannot speak, for truth hath better deeds, than words, to grace it.

They say men are molded out of faults, and for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad. Measure For Measure

All that glisters is not gold, Often have you heard that told.