“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
― William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous silver-tongued wordsmiths of our time, and his poems and plays have been taught, performed, and either universally loved or universally hated throughout the centuries since their initial publication. We’ve gathered together some of the most famous William Shakespeare quotes to remind you of his brilliance, whether we rekindle a love for his work or not.
“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind”
Too many people think that love is based entirely on your perception of someone’s appearance, and while that can have a hand in it; love is truly based in what you see with your mind, instead of your eyes. The things that you can perceive that are beyond the visual spectrum. Classic sculptures and paintings of Cupid were always depicted as blind, because of this. Read more: quotes about true love.
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
― William Shakespeare
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
― William Shakespeare
We have no control over the circumstances of our birth, so if we are born to greatness, it is through no fault or action of our own. Those that aren’t born to that greatness have to fight and claw their way to in order to achieve it. Those that have it thrust upon them again often have no choice in its appearance, but have to rise to the occasion.
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.”
― William Shakespeare
Being late is often awkward, always rude, and best avoided. Showing up early is never a bad thing. Not only does it keep you from being late, it allows you time to relax, collect your thoughts, and depending on the event that you’re arriving to, to help set up. It’s a win-win situation, and may even earn you brownie points.
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
― William Shakespeare
“If music be the food of love, play on.”
― William Shakespeare
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
― William Shakespeare
“This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is 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.”
― William Shakespeare
When the curtain falls on our lives, which it eventually will without fail, all that is left of us is the story that we leave behind. It is up to us, though we may be full of sound and fury, to leave behind a story worth remembering. That is the only way that we can guarantee a semblance of immortality, to be remembered by those we left behind.
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
There is nothing that brings us together like time spent together in the great outdoors. There’s something about that wide expanse of sky that makes us more likely to reach out a hand to our fellow man and aid them on the trail. It brings people together in a way that nothing we have ever created has managed to do.
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”
― William Shakespeare
We’re all human. We bleed, we love, we fight, and we move on through no matter what life manages to throw at us. When it comes right down to it, no matter how many differences we may perceive, we are all the same. Everything that we’ve created to convince ourselves that they are different than we are doesn’t mean anything. We are all the same.
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”
― William Shakespeare
There is no excuse for cowardice. Being brave and valiant does not mean that you are without fear. Instead, it means that you step out and face the things that you are afraid of, no matter what. Face your fear and step over it, and it will never bother you again. Turn and run from your fear and you will continue running your entire life.
“Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.”
― William Shakespeare
We are always concerned with our reputation, with the way that people think of us when we are not present. Reputation is an unstable and fleeting thing. People earn and lose reputations every day with no thought as to whether or not they are earned or deserved. Reputation is something perceived, not something known.
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
― William Shakespeare
Doubts are poisonous, because they can weed their way into even the most confident mind and make the person thinks that they are unable to reach their goals, complete their project, or even make it through the day without failure. Don’t let your doubts poison you.
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
― William Shakespeare
All you can do in this fantastically narcissistic world is to remain true to yourself. Don’t give into the pressure that friends and peers may exert to try and make your change yourself. Once you’ve decided to be true to yourself, you will find that it becomes easier and easier to stay that way. You don’t know your own strength until it is tested, after all.
Shakespeare’s words have stood the test of time and will continue to inspire, incite, galvanize, and embolden writers and creators until the written word fades into obscurity. Hopefully, these William Shakespeare quotes have served as a reminder that no matter what you’re passionate about, you only need to be passionate about it to achieve it.
If you’re still in need of a little bit of inspiration, check out our life quotes and love quotes pages.
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