William Shakespeare Quotes

A collection of quotes by William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language and one of the most influential figures in world literature. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564, his exact date of birth is unknown, but it is traditionally celebrated on April 23rd. Shakespeare grew up in an affluent family and received an excellent education at the local grammar school.

In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, and they had three children together. By the late 1580s, Shakespeare had established himself as both an actor and a playwright in London. His works gained popularity and praise, and he became a prominent member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later renamed the King's Men, a leading acting company at the time.

Shakespeare's legacy rests primarily on his plays, which include tragedies like "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "Romeo and Juliet," comedies such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Twelfth Night," and histories like "Henry V." He wrote a total of 37 plays, as well as numerous sonnets, poems, and other works.

Though his life is not well-documented, Shakespeare's impact on literature and drama is immeasurable. His plays continue to be performed all over the world, and his words have become part of the English language. Shakespeare's unparalleled storytelling, poetic language, and profound exploration of human nature have made him an icon of literature for centuries. He died in 1616, leaving behind a legacy that remains unparalleled to this day.

Nay, 'twill be this hour ere I have done weeping. All the kind of the Launces have this very fault. I have received my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with Sir Proteus to the Imperial's court. I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives. My mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruel-hearted cur shed one tear. He is a stone, a very pebble stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog. A Jew would have wept to have seen our parting. Why, my grandam, having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind at my parting. Nay, I'll show you the manner of it. This shoe is my father. No, this left shoe is my father. No, no, this left shoe is my mother. Nay, that cannot be so neither. Yes, it is so, it is so -- it hath the worser sole. This shoe with the hole in it is my mother, and this my father. A vengeance on't! There 'tis. Now, sir, this staff is my sister, for, look you, she is as white as a lily and as small as a wand. This hat is Nan, our maid. I am the dog. No, the dog is himself, and I am the dog -- O, the dog is me, and I am myself. Ay, so, so. Now come I to my father: 'Father, your blessing.' Now should not the shoe speak a word for weeping. Now should I kiss my father -- well, he weeps on. Now come I to my mother. O, that she could speak now like a wood woman! Well, I kiss her -- why, there 'tis: here's my mother's breath up and down. Now come I to my sister; mark the moan she makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a tear nor speaks a word!

William Shakespeare