William Shakespeare Quotes

The latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a feast, Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest.

Within the book and volume of thy brain.

Foul cankering rust the hidden treasure frets, but gold that's put to use more gold begets.

Temptation: the fiend at my elbow.

Cease thy counsel, for thy words fall into my ears as priceless as water into a seive.

DEMETRIUS Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. LYSANDER You have her father's love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.

Good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.

Tush! Fear not, my lord, we will not stand to prate; Talkers are no good doers: be assured We come to use our hands and not our tongues.

No, I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing.

Heaven is above all yet; there sits a judge, That no king can corrupt.

in black ink my love may still shine bright.

The king's name is a tower of strength.

We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers.

Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I ha' lost my reputation, I ha' lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial!

Fondling,' she saith, 'since I have hemm'd thee here Within the circuit of this ivory pale, I'll be a park, and thou shalt be my deer; Feed where thou wilt, on mountain or in dale: Graze on my lips, and if those hills be dry, Stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie.

His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.

Every why hath a wherefore.

Perseverance, my dear Lord. Keeps honour bright.

I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge.

He makes a July's day short as December.

Let the galled jade wince; our withers are unwrung.

Most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Get thee to a nunnery.

Barnes are blessings.

Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? ...If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example?

The tempter or the tempted, who sins most? Ha! Not she: nor doth she tempt: but it is I That, lying by the violet in the sun, Do as the carrion does, not as the flower, Corrupt with virtuous season.

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Forever, and forever, farewell, Cassius! If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then this parting was well made.

Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh.

If money go before, all ways do lie open.

Time travels in divers paces with divers persons. I'll tell you who Time ambles withal, who Time trots withal, who Time gallops withal, and who he stands still withal.

Never; he will not: Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety: other women cloy The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies.

Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.

Your date is better in your pie and your porridge than in your cheek.

Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man.

Nimble thought can jump both sea and land.

Love is merely a madness, and, I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do.

QUINCE Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. FLUTE Here, Peter Quince. QUINCE Flute, you must take Thisby on you. FLUTE What is Thisby? a wandering knight? QUINCE It is the lady that Pyramus must love. FLUTE Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.

Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.

The weakest goes to the wall.

When the sea was calm all ships alike showed mastership in floating.

A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent--sweet, not lasting; The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more.

Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping?

His steeds to water at those springs On chaliced flowers that lies; And winking Mary-buds begin To ope their golden eyes: With every thing that pretty is, My lady sweet, arise.

Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way.

We will have rings and things and fine array

I praise God for you, sir: your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious; pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, audacious without impudency, learned without opinion, and strange with-out heresy.