50 Famous William Shakespeare Lines
Here are 50 Famous William Shakespeare lines. His words and witticisms have become so ingrained in our culture and language that we often quote the Bard without even realizing it. Phrases like “To be or not to be” and “Star-crossed lovers” have taken on a life of their own outside of the plays and sonnets from which they originate.
In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of some of Shakespeare’s most famous quotes and examined why these particular lines from his works have stood the test of time. From soliloquies pondering mortality to romantic declarations of love, these quotes demonstrate Shakespeare’s incredible ability to distill complex emotions and ideas into simple yet profound turns of phrase.
Even if you didn’t study Shakespeare in school, you’ve likely heard many of these famous words spoken aloud in books, films, and everyday conversation. By taking a fresh look at these iconic Shakespeare quotes, we can gain new perspective on how poetic and insightful his writing truly was. Whether tragic, comedic, philosophical or romantic, these lines still resonate centuries later. So keep reading to explore the context, meaning, and lasting impact of Shakespeare’s most unforgettable quotes!
- “To be, or not to be, that is the question.” (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1)
- “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.” (Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5)
- “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” (As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7)
- “To thine own self be true.” (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3)
- “The course of true love never did run smooth.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” (The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1)
- “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” (The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2)
- “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4)
- “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “Beware the Ides of March.” (Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2)
- “All that glisters is not gold.” (The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 7)
- “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “This above all; to thine own self be true” (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3)
- “The wheel is come full circle.” (King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3)
- “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” (As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 1)
- “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “If music be the food of love, play on.” (Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “Et tu, Brute?” (Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1)
- “Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.” (Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 1)
- “Now is the winter of our discontent.” (Richard III, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “Out, damned spot!” (Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1)
- “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 3, Scene 2)
- “Star-crossed lovers” (Romeo and Juliet, Prologue)
- “Once more unto the breach, dear friends!” (Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1)
- “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” (Richard III, Act 5, Scene 4)
- “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” (Henry IV Part 2, Act 3, Scene 1)
- “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” (All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 1, Scene 1)
- “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.” (Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5)
- “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2)
- “Off with his head!” (Richard III, Act 3, Scene 4)
- “Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” (Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3, Scene 1)
- “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” (Henry VI Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2)
- “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 3, Scene 2)
- “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” (King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4)
- “Blow, blow, thou winter wind!” (As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7)
- “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” (Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3)
- “What light through yonder window breaks?” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!” (Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2)
- “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2)
- “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
- “Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.” (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3)
- “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.” (Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5)
- “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” (Measure for Measure, Act 1, Scene 4)
- “The course of true love never did run smooth.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1)
We hope you enjoyed these famous lines. If we forgot one, put it in the comments below.
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