William Shakespeare Quotes, Quotations, and Sayings

2,311 Famous Quotes by William Shakespeare
“There are grades of vanity, there are only grades of ability in concealing it.”
Vanity Quotes
Source: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second (York at II, i)
“We are oft to blame in this, 'Tis too much proved, that with devotion's visage And pious action we do sugar o'er The devil himself.”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Ophelia at III, i)
“Let me be cruel, not unnatural; I will speak daggers to her, but use none. My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites: How in my words somever she be shent, To give them seals never, my soul, consent!”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Hamlet at III, ii)
“Away, and mock the time with fairest show; False face must hide what the false heart doth khow.”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: Macbeth (Macbeth at I, vii)
“O, what may man within him hide, Though angel on the outward side!”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: Measure for Measure (Vincentio, the Duke at III, ii)
“O serpent heart, hid with a flow'ring face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: Romeo and Juliet (Juliet at III, ii)
“So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue That, his apparent open guilt omitted-- I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife-- He lived from all attainder of suspects.”
Hypocrisy Quotes
Source: The Tragedy of King Richard the Third (King Richard at III, v)
“O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.”
Despair Quotes
Source: Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Hamlet at I, ii)
“They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly, But bear-like I must fight the course.”
Despair Quotes
Source: Macbeth (Macbeth at V, vii)
“If thou dost slander her and torture me, Never pray more; abandon all remorse; On horror's head horrors accumulate; Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed; For nothing canst thou to damnation add Greater than that.”
Despair Quotes
Source: Othello the Moor of Venice (Othello at III, iii)
“O, break, my heart! poor bankrout, break at once! To prison, eyes; ne'er look on liberty! Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here, And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!”
Despair Quotes
Source: Romeo and Juliet (Juliet at III, ii)
“Discomfort guides my tongue And bids me speak of nothing but despair.”
Despair Quotes
Source: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second (Salisbury at III, ii)
“But, O thou tyrant, Do not repent these things, for they are heavier Than all thy woes can stir. Therefore betake thee To nothing but despair.”
Despair Quotes
Source: The Winter's Tale (Paulina at III, ii)
“He who has never hoped can never despair.”
Despair Quotes
Source: The Winter's Tale (Paulina at III, ii)
“We have scorched the snake, not killed it. She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice Remains in danger of her former tooth.”
Failure Quotes
Source: Macbeth (Macbeth at III, ii)
“When last the young Orlando parted from you, He left a promise to return again Within a hour; and pacing through the forest, Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy, Lo, what befell!”
Fancy Quotes
Source: As You Like It (Oliver at IV, iii)
“Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart, or in the head? How begot, how nourished? Reply, reply. It is engend'red in the eyes, With gazing fed, and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies.”
Fancy Quotes
Source: The Merchant of Venice (Song at III, ii)
“So full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical.”
Fancy Quotes
Source: Twelfth Night, or, What You Will (Orsino, Duke of Illyria at I, i)
“Let fancy still in my sense in Lethe steep; If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep!”
Fancy Quotes
Source: Twelfth Night, or, What You Will (Sebastian at IV, i)
“Come like shadows, so depart!”
Shadows Quotes
Source: Macbeth (Witches at IV, i)
“Some there be that shadows kiss; Such have but a shadow's bliss.”
Shadows Quotes
Source: The Merchant of Venice (Arragon at II, ix)
“The birds chaunt melody on every bush, The snake lies rolled in the cheerful sun, The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind, And make a checkered shadow on the ground; Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit, And whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds, Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns, As if a double hunt were heard at once, Let us sit down and mark their yellowing noise; And after conflict such as was supposed The wand'ring prince and Dido once enjoyed, When with a happy storm they were surprised, And curtained with a counsel-keeping cave, We may, each wreathed in the other's arms, Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber, Whiles hounds and horns and sweet melodious birds Be unto us as is a nurse's song Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep.”
Shadows Quotes
Source: Titus Andronicus (Tamora at II, iii)
“By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.”
Shadows Quotes
Source: The Tragedy of King Richard the Third (King Richard at V, iii)
“He was indeed the glass Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.”
Example Quotes
Source: King Henry the Fourth, Part II (Lady Percy at II, iii)
“I have shot mine arrow o'er the house And hurt my brother.”
Accident Quotes
Source: Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Hamlet at V, ii)
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