William Shakespeare Quotes

Ay, Much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.

If they love they know not why, they hate upon no better ground, they hate upon no better a ground

If love be blind, it best agrees with night

All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer, with sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear.

Give it an understanding, but no tongue.

Let us our lives, our souls, Our debts, our careful wives, Our children, and our sins, lay on the King!

If you be King, why should not I succeed?

This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep That from this golden rigol hath divorc'd So many English kings.

Strong reasons make strong actions let us go If you say ay, the king will not say no.

Trust not your daughter's minds By what you see them act.

Preferment goes by letter and affection, And not by old gradation, where each second Stood heir to th's first.

Thus we play the fool with the time and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.

Of all complexions the culled sovereignty Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek, Where several worthies make one dignity, Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek.

Thou art most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon.

Words pay no debts, give her deeds.

What is done cannot be now amended.

My will enkindled by mine eyes and ears, Two traded pilots 'twixt the dangerous shores Of will and judgment.

Our content Is our best having.

Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace.

If the boy have not a woman's gift To rain a shower of commanded tears, An onion will do well for such a shift.

There is no such sport as sport by sport o'erthrown.

The Thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman; and to be King Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor.

They that have voice of lions and act of hares,--are they not monsters?

Bad is the trade that must play fool to sorrow, Ang'ring itself and others.

A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us; His dew falls everywhere.

Gently to hear, kindly to judge.

So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Find we a time for frighted peace to pant And breathe short-winded accents of new broils To be commenced in stronds afar remote.

Wish chastely, and love dearly.

All his successors gone before him have done 't; and all his ancestors that come after him may.

If you spend word for word with me, I shall make your wit bankrupt.

Let the sap of reason quench the fire of passion.

An old man, broken with the storms of state, Is come to lay his weary bones among ye; Give him a little earth for charity!

Sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye.

Weep not, sweet queen, for trickling tears are vain.

A table full of welcome makes scarce one dainty dish.

Some falls the means are happier to rise.

Let me not live, after my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff of younger spirits.

He's loved of the distracted multitude, who like not in their judgement, but their eyes.

The fortune of us that are the moon's men doth ebb and flow like the sea, being governed, as the sea is, by the moon.

The old folk, time's doting chronicles.

Tis beauty that doth oft make women proud; but, God He knows, thy share thereof is small.

There is a devilish mercy in the judge, if you'll implore it, that will free your life, but fetter you till death.

Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it Without a prompter.

Better three hours too soon, than one hour to late.

I have a kind soul that would give you thanks. And knows not how to do it but with tears.

The fear's as bad as falling.

For mine own part, it was Greek to me.

Praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove.

Rude am I in my speech, And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.

Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes every one to the world but I, and I am sunburnt; I may sit in a corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband!