Shakespeare Quotes

Looking For Shakespeare Quotes? Read On!

This Shakespeare quotes page links to all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, along with their modern translations.

Shakespeare is the most quoted English writer of all time, with his plays and sonnets enduring popularity around the world. It’s not surprising given the volume and quality of works that Shakespeare wrote that virtually everyone can quote at least a few words of Shakespeare – even if at times they don’t know they’re doing it!

Top Shakespeare Quotes

It was a tough one picking them, but here you can see our take on the 50 most famous Shakespeare quotes of all time.

And here at the 10 most searched for Shakespeare quotes online:

“Is this a dagger which I see before me?”

“To be or not to be”

“Et tu Brute?”

“Double double toil and trouble”

“Once more unto the breach

What light through yonder window breaks

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”

Queen Mab speech from Romeo & Juliet

“All the world’s a stage”


Shakespeare Quotes by Subject

Want to impress a loved one? Have a look at the 50 top Shakespeare love quotes, along with their translations into modern English.

Feeling down? Read our top 50 Shakespeare quotes about death.

Spaced out? Browse Shakespeare’s quotes about dreams.

Feeling peckish? Read Shakespeare quotes on food. Thirsty? Shakespeare quotes on drink.

Feeling lonesome? Read Shakespeare’s goodbye quotes.

And how about having a read through the top 20 quotes about Shakespeare from writers over the years.


Shakespeare Quotes by Play

Hamlet quotes translated into modern English

Henry V quotes translated into modern English

Julius Caesar quotes translated into modern English

Macbeth quotes translated into modern English

Othello quotes translated into modern English

Romeo & Juliet quotes translated into modern English

Famous Shakespeare quotes

Shakespeare Dictionary: Quotes from other Shakespeare plays translated into modern English


Shakespeare Soliloquies

As well as the shorter Shakespeare quotes, we’ve translated a number of Shakespeare’s soliloquies into modern English to help with your understanding. Not sure what a soliloquy is? See soliluquys from a number of Shakespeare’s major works:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream soliloquies

Hamlet soliloquies

Macbeth soliloquies

The Merchant of Venice soliloquies

Othello soliloquies

Romeo & Juliet soliloquies

The Tempest soliloquies


Whilst reading quotes is a great way to take in the language in your own time, hearing Shakespeare’s word performed can really bring them to life. Listen to these students performing 37 well-known Shakespeare quotes in 2 minutes.

It isn’t just beautiful prose and iambic pentameter that should come to mind when asked to quote Shakespeare. Shakespeare was the first person recorded using up to 1,700 words and dozens of phrases for the first time ever, many of which have fallen into daily usage. Such common phrases include:

Shakespeare Quotes 1

 

19 thoughts on “Shakespeare Quotes”

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    Reply
  2. Hi,

    Trying to discover Shakespeare quote the ends with “Therefore am not a beast”.

    It denotes that man can be more cruel than an animal!

    Can you help?

    Ed

    Reply
    • You may be referring to a line from Rosalind in As you like it, act IV scene II, somewhere around line 72, when she’s reading from a letter to her sent by Pheobe. It’s a similar line but not exact. I’m uncertain of this, but there may be another line, also by Rosalind later that is closer to what you said above, and if there is, it’s around the scene where she is striking a bargain with phoebe about not marrying a woman. I’ve not checked these details and I’m going by memory so sorry if I’m not anywhere near what your looking for. I just remember that line from the reading of the letter. Hope it helps.
      Brooke

      Reply
      • “No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.”
        • Richard III

        Reply
    • Richard the Third Act 1, scene 2 , spoken by Richard in reply to Lady Anne (whose husband and father-in-law he has slain) and who he is trying to seduce. This follows her line to the effect that even beasts are capable of a modicum of pity. He replies: “But I know none, therefore am no beast”.

      Hope this is what you were looking for, Ed

      Reply
    • Anne : (the one he is trying, unsuccessfully to woo)
      ‘No Beast so fierce that knows some touch of mercy’.

      Richard : ‘But I know none, therefore am no beast’

      Richard III

      Reply
  3. What play is this quote from ? and what is its’ meaning ?

    “I risk my life for my own work and my reason has half foundered in it”?

    and this one as well:

    “If there were reason for these miseries…”

    Reply
  4. “There is a tide in the affairs of men….”
    Please complete, give context, speaker, and play name source.
    Much appreciated, J-Ram

    Reply
  5. Is anyone familiar with the line ; ‘If you want to do a great good; do a little evil’ I believe it is attributed to Shakespeare.

    Which play and character is it? (Thankyou)

    Reply
    • Yo it’s from Voltaire, and it goes like this; “There will be a day when you will wish you had done a little evil to do a greater good.” Hope this helped.

      Reply

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