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15 Most Famous William Shakespeare Quotes

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted. While Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, he later received a large amount of praise, including being famously quoted in various literary works.

Shakespeare’s work has made a significant and lasting impression on later theatre and literature. He even shifted the sense of some literary works, for example in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrayed romance as a worthy topic for tragedy. This was an angle that had never been explored before going to show the depths of his thought process. In this article, we explore the 15 most famous William Shakespeare Quotes.

1. “To be or not to be, that is the question” – Hamlet

鈥淭o be, or not to be” is the opening phrase of a speech given by Prince Hamlet in the nunnery scene of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide, weighing the pain and unfairness of life against the alternative, which might be worse. 

The opening line is one of the most widely known and quoted lines in modern English literature, and the speech has been referenced in many works of theatre, literature, and music. 

2. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” – As You Like It

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Shakespeare uses the monologue in As You Like It to compare life to a stage on its most basic level. His speaker, Jacques, is suggesting that life is a stage, and men and women are players who take on different roles throughout their lives. The concept comes, in part, from medieval philosophy.

3. “The better part of valour is discretion” – Henry IV, Part 1

The line comes from Shakespeare鈥檚 play, Henry IV Part 1, Act V Scene 4. It鈥檚 spoken by Shakespeare鈥檚 popular knight, Sir John Falstaff. 

The line means that you would be foolish to act like a hero if it is going to disadvantage you and it鈥檚 better to stop yourself if an action you would like to take is going to hurt you. But in the case of Falstaff, it is deeply cynical. One of the main themes of the play is honour.

4. 鈥淎 rose by any other name would smell as sweet鈥� – Romeo and Juliet

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“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a popular adage from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet seems to argue that it does not matter that Romeo is from her family’s rival house of Montague. 

The reference is used to state that the names of things do not affect what they really are. This formulation is, however, a paraphrase of Shakespeare’s actual language. Juliet compares Romeo to a rose saying that if he were not named Romeo he would still be handsome and be Juliet’s love. 

5. “To thine own self be true” – Hamlet

鈥楾o thine own self be true鈥� is a line from Act 1 scene 3 of Shakespeare鈥檚 play, Hamlet. It is spoken by King Claudius鈥� chief minister, Polonius as part of a speech where he is giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice on how to behave whilst at university.  The phrase has evolved, and in recent years 鈥榖eing true to yourself鈥� has become a common term. It鈥檚 used to mean not worrying about pleasing other people or living by someone else鈥檚 rules or standards, but rather living as your natural self, without compromise.

6. “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none” – All’s Well That Ends Well

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鈥淟ove all, trust a few, do wrong to none鈥� is a quote from Shakespeare’s play ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’, Act 1 Scene 1, where the mother speaks it to her son. This quote perfectly demonstrates the ingredients that make a healthy and prosperous life possible. It’s important to keep your heart open and to love while trusting only those who have pure intentions. But even to those we don’t trust, we must treat them with respect.

7. “All that glitters is not gold” – The Merchant of Venice

鈥淎ll that glitters is not gold鈥� is a saying that refers to a line in the Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice, read from a note in Act 2, scene 7. Using a substance like gold recognising its shiny appearance, and pointing out that there are other things that are also shiny, then concluding that because they are shiny doesn鈥檛 mean they are valuable.

This makes a universal statement about our values. We could so easily be taken in by shiny objects, both in the material sense and in more abstract areas like relationships. 

8. “Parting is such sweet sorrow” – Romeo and Juliet

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“Parting is such sweet sorrow” is a quote from Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet, spoken by Juliet in Act 2, scene 2. The young lovers in this play talk to each other for a long time and fall in love. They can hardly tear themselves away from each other, and Juliet expresses her sadness that it should happen. Leaving Romeo hurts her and yet, although the parting is very painful the pain intensifies her feelings for him.

The phrase is used today in other contexts, such as in connection with death. When a loved one has passed on and all we are left with are memories, notwithstanding the sorrow of that parting, we are left with many sweet memories of their life. 

9. “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once” – Julius Caesar

This quote was spoken by Julius Caesar in the Shakespearean play, Julius Caesar. It was used in Act II, Scene 2 in conversation with his wife, Calpurnia.  He means that those who run from their fears and never face them are dying metaphorical deaths. They are losing a part of their self-worth and their soul in doing so.

10. “If music be the food of love, play on” – Twelfth Night

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鈥業f music be the food of love, play on.鈥� is one of the most famous opening sentences in all of English literature, and one of Shakespeare鈥檚 most quoted lines. He opens his great comic play, Twelfth Night, with it. The play explores love and being in love, starting with this naive, adolescent love, and into other areas, such as falling in love at first sight.

It鈥檚 in this complicated way that Shakespeare explores being in love, and sexuality. At the same time, there are love issues with the other characters and Shakespeare creates some of his best comic scenes in his exploration of them.

11. “The world is mine oyster” – The Merry Wives of Windsor

This quote originates from Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. It means that you can achieve anything you wish in life or go anywhere because you have the opportunity or ability to do so.

12. “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” – Henry VI, Part 2

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“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” is a line from William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2. It is among Shakespeare’s most famous lines. Shakespeare may be making a joke when the character Dick The Butcher suggests one of the ways the band of pretenders to the throne can improve the country is to kill all the lawyers. 

The line has been interpreted in different ways, criticism of how lawyers maintain the privilege of the wealthy and powerful; implicit praise of how lawyers stand in the way of the guilty and criticism of perversions of the rule of law.

13. “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves” – Julius Caesar

鈥淚t is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves鈥� A version of this quote appears in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

This quote means that it’s not in anyone else’s control what happens in another person’s life. It is only in one’s own control how their life turns out. There is nothing predetermined.

14. “Though she be but little, she is fierce” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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鈥淭hough she be but little she is fierce鈥� is a quote from Shakespeare鈥檚 A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, spoken by Helena in Act 3, scene 2, referring to her friend Hermia. Hermia is instructed by her father to marry the wealthy young nobleman, Demetrius, but she is in love with Lysander and refuses.

Hermia is one of Shakespeare鈥檚 strong women. She stands up to her father, something Elizabethan women could not do as a father鈥檚 word was law, and final 鈥� there was no appeal. Shakespeare鈥檚 plays are full of women who suffer as a result of the way that men treat them. Some of them rebel and Hermia is one of them. All this while Hermia is petite and hence the quote.

15. “The course of true love never did run smooth” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“The course of true love never did run smooth” is a quote from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1 Scene 1, said by Lysander to Hermia.

Lysander says this quote to show that his love towards Hermia is stronger than Demetrius’. He says the quote to Hermia because he wants her to know that any relationship will have its ups and downs, a relationship cannot be perfect.

We can see the impact that Shakespeare had in literary works back then and up to date with the common use of many of these Shakespeare Quotes in our day-to-day life. Quotes like To thy own self be true have evolved so much and have become common conversation anecdotes. This goes a long way to show how great the impact William Shakespeare continues to accrue over time not only in the world of literature but also in the world generally.