William Shakespeare, often regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language, left behind a legacy of profound insights, timeless truths, and exquisite poetry. His works continue to captivate audiences centuries after they were first penned, and his words resonate with universal themes of love, ambition, power, and human nature. In this article, we delve into some of the best quotes of William Shakespeare, exploring their meanings, contexts, and enduring relevance in today’s world.
Shakespeare’s Best Quotes
1. “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
2. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
3. “Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”
4. “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
5. “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”
6. “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
7. “How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”
8. “Nothing can come of nothing.”
9. “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
10. “What’s done can’t be undone.”
11. “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
12. “No legacy is so rich as honesty.”
13. “This above all; to thine own self be true.”
14. “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”
15. “The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief.”
16. “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
17. “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
18. “What is past is prologue.”
19. “Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”
20. “Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge.”
21. “‘Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support them after.”
22. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”
23. “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.”
24. “I bear a charmed life.”
25. “Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe yourself.”
26. “Talking isn’t doing. It is a kind of good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds.”
27. “In time we hate that which we often fear.”
28. “Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.”
29. “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
30. “Boldness be my friend.”
31. “Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”
32. “Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.”
33. “Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.”
34. “When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.”
35. “Such as we are made of, such we be.”
36. “And oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse.”
37. “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.”
38. “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”
39. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.”
40. “All that glisters is not gold.”
41. “Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find.”
42. “The fault…is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
43. “And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.”
44. “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”
45. “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
46. “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.”
47. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
48. “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.”
49. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
50. “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Shakespeare’s Quotes
William Shakespeare’s words have stood the test of time, transcending centuries and speaking to the universal truths of the human experience. His quotes continue to inspire, provoke thought, and ignite imagination, reminding us of the beauty and power of language. As we reflect on some of the best quotes of Shakespeare, we are reminded of the timeless wisdom and profound insights that continue to enrich our lives today.