80 great phrases by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of the greatest exponents of dramaturgy Worldwide. His works have been translated and interpreted throughout the world and served as a source of inspiration for the collective imagination.
Tragedies such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Othello" or "Macbeth" or comedies like "The Merchant of Venice" or "The Midsummer Night's Dream" are some of his most popular plays. He also wrote great poems, such as "The Rape of Lucrezia" or "Venus and Adonis". Throughout his work this author, playwright and poet has left great phrases for the memory of very diverse themes, dealing with aspects such as love, passion, deceit, betrayal or loyalty.
In this article you will find the best phrases of William Shakespeare .
- Related article: "123 wise phrases to reflect on life"
Great phrases of Shakespeare
Below are a series of quotations and phrases by William Shakespeare on the various topics that were discussed throughout his work.
1. To be or not to be, that is the question
This famous phrase from the play Hamlet questions the existence, what we are and what we do, and whether we should submit or fight, live or die.
2. When I saw you I fell in love and you smiled because you knew
This phrase speaks of a love at first sight, as well as the perception of others of our feelings towards them.
3. Thus, oh conscience, all of us are cowards, and the fiery original resolve falls to the pale look of thought
Doubt, insecurity and reflecting too much Things make our intentions and will to act diminish to the point of being able to abandon our initial intention.
4. The friends you have and whose friendship you have already put to the test, hook them to your soul with steel hooks
Those who are by your side, both in the good times and in the bad moments, those who are there when they are needed are truly worthy of our appreciation and attention. It is these people who deserve our affection.
5. Life is a story told by an idiot, a story full of rumble and fury, which means nothing
This phrase reflects that the history of our life can only be told by ourselves , without it having any meaning or meaning.
6. It is better to be king of your silence than slave of your words
We must be aware of what we decide, since it has an effect on others and can also be distorted or even used against us.
7. There are more things in heaven and on earth, Horace, than all those who can dream their philosophy
No matter what we explore or imagine, there will always be new things to explore and discover, new things to dream or new ways of interpreting them. In addition, what one is able to see does not have to coincide with what another perceives.
8. The wise man does not sit down to mourn, but cheerfully puts himself to his task of repairing the damage done
Lamenting is useless. Someone wise will take advantage to solve the problems and at the same time will be able to learn from what happened.
9. In our crazy attempts, we renounce what we are for what we hope to be
This phrase reflects that although it may seem crazy, we must go ahead without accommodation if we want to achieve our dreams.
- Related article: "Conformism: why do we submit to peer pressure?"
10. There is nothing good or bad, thought makes it so
This phrase reflects that the concepts of goodness and badness are subjective constructs, which can be used differently by different people. Things are, and then we interpret them according to whether they are beneficial or harmful.
11. Destiny is the one that shuffles the cards, but we are the ones who play
Although we can not control what happens to us, we can manage how we react, what we do with it, or what choices we make from it. We decide our own path among the options we have available.
12. Do not try to guide the one who pretends to choose his own path
Everyone has their own opinions and ways of seeing and reaching the future they want to achieve. Trying to guide him to another path without him wanting it is counterproductive for both.
13. He lends the ear to all, and to a few the voice. Listen to the censures of others; but reserve your own opinion
In this phrase the playwright reflects the need to take into account the perspectives of others , in addition to recommending caution at the time of opinion.
14. It is not enough to lift the weak, you have to hold it after
Helping implies more than making a simple gesture of support. It is not a temporary support, but one that truly contributes to helping the helper maintain a state that allows him or her not to fall again.
15. The ruined man reads his condition in the eyes of others so quickly that he himself feels his fall
People tend to project their own state onto others and interpret events coincident with that projection.
16. I would be very unhappy if I could say to what extent I am
Happiness is a spontaneous state and not controlled. If we can stop to think how happy we are, we will be that we are not focused on the sensations that cause us happiness.
17. If the whole year were partying, having fun would be more boring than working
We enjoy breaking the routine and doing something we like that we do not do often. If we get used to something, it ends up becoming routine and losing its reinforcement value to a greater or lesser degree.
18. Love is such a loyal madman, that in everything you do, whatever it is, do not find any evil
Love can cause anything we do or suffer to be perceived as bad, being blind.
- Related article: "The chemistry of love: a very powerful drug"
19. First of all be true to yourself. And so, as certain as the night follows the day, you will find that you can not lie to anyone
We have to be honest with ourselves and act according to our thoughts, beliefs and desires.
20. At birth, we cry because we enter this vast asylum
The world is cruel and chaotic, something we must face from birth to burial.
21. The wounds that are not seen are the most profound
Psychic pain and traumas are not usually seen from the outside, but are those that cause more suffering and generally those that most invalidate and persist over time.
22. In a minute there are many days
Our perception of time may vary enormously depending on what we do and how we feel. While if we are happy, time passes quickly, suffering and waiting make it seem eternal.
23. The worst sin towards our fellowmen is not to hate them, but to treat them with indifference; this is the essence of humanity
Indifference means that we do not care about the other or even that we do not recognize their existence, while other feelings, however negative, imply that the other is recognized as a living being.
24. We know what we are, but not what we can become
While what we are and how we are today can be known, we can not determine how or what we will end up doing with our lives since our points of view or our situation can vary at any time.
25. We have come to this world as brothers; let's walk, then, giving us the hand and one in front of another
This phrase proposes to help us, guide us and respect each other.
26. Time does not come back, therefore, plant your garden and decorate your soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
We can not get what we want, however much we do, but if we do not do anything, we do not have any chance and we will only be wasting time. This phrase impels us to act.
27. Keep something that helps me remember you would admit that I can forget you
If we care about someone, what we have to value is what we live with him or her. Memories. But if we need something that reminds us is because we may be afraid that we stop having them present.
- You may be interested: "Types of memory: how does memory store the human brain?"
28. There are smiles that hurt like daggers
The false smiles, the interested, those that hide things or those that make fun of someone can cause great harm, especially if they come from someone valued or loved.
29. There is nothing so common as the desire to be praised
The human being often has the need to be recognized, praise being a way to feed the self-esteem and self-concept of others. Also, on the other hand, vanity.
30. We are made of the same material as dreams and our little life ends up sleeping
A reflection on the link between living and dreaming.
31. If you want to climb steep slopes, it is necessary at first to walk slowly
To achieve great goals it is necessary to go little by little , step by step, so that we can go the long way necessary to achieve them.
32. The one who goes too fast arrives as late as the one who goes very slowly
While we have to act, rushing too much will make us make mistakes and waste time and resources so that it can be as inefficient as taking too long to act.
33. The past is a prologue
The past is important, but it has already happened. It is only a precedent that we live now and what we will live after.
34. Loyalty has a quiet heart
Those who are loyal do not have to worry about remorse or the machinations and worries of those who betray.
35. The exterior aspect often touts the inner condition of man
Our image, as a way of presenting ourselves to the world, often reflects different aspects of our inner world.
36. There is more danger to me in your eyes than in facing twenty naked swords
Love for someone can make us act in unsuspected ways . The beloved person, what he thinks or feels, does or does not do, is always something important for us and what we are vulnerable to.
37Before touching your lips I want to touch your heart, and before conquering your body I want to conquer your love
This phrase of Romeo and Juliet reflects the desire to be reciprocated in the affective.
38. Improvisations are better when they are prepared
While improvising can provide a solution to a given problem, it is necessary to know when it is necessary to do so.
39. The punishment, more than cordial, is a corrosive to the evils that has no cure
The pity, although it may seem well-intentioned, is a damage to the one who provokes it and adds to the very element that makes it feel.
40. I know of a thousand illustrious men who have flattered the people without ever making love to him, and of a thousand others whom the people have loved without explaining the motive
The affection people awaken does not have to derive from their actions, it can be due to several causes such as identification with them, their deep motivations or their way of proceeding. Further, love can not be bought or forced .
41. Cowards die many times before their true death; the brave prove death only once
Those who do not dare to live are limited to surviving and are constantly frustrated, while those who act will manage to live a more or less full life.
42. Learning is a simple appendix of ourselves; wherever we are, there is also our learning
What we learn throughout life always accompanies us, allowing us to act or have more resources to face new or known situations.
- Maybe you're interested: "The 13 types of learning: what are they?"
43. Anyone can master a suffering, except who feels it
It can be easy to give advice, and most people seem to think that the problems of others can be better handled or solved mostly for simplicity, but they are not able to see all the aspects that affect the situation of the person who suffers. The one who suffers may not be able to overcome his suffering.
44. Take more than you show; speak less than you know
In this sentence Shakspeare recommends prudence and discretion , so that we can have resources that others do not expect and we can solve unforeseen situations.
45. He who takes away twenty years of life, removes so many others from fear of death
Those who pretend to be younger than they are are usually afraid to grow old and die, a fear that can consume more and more as time passes.
46. Our doubts are traitors that make us lose what we could often win, by fearing to try
Indecision and fear can lead us to not act, so it is impossible to achieve what we could achieve if we had acted.
47. It is impossible to fan the fire with snow, like putting out the fire of love with words
Words are not enough to alter people's feelings, especially when they are of great intensity. Feelings like love do not act with logic or in a calculated and controlled way, but go beyond rationality.
48. Beware of the bonfire you light against your enemy, lest you scorch yourself
The actions of one person against another can turn against the first with great ease, whether it is on the part of the aggrieved person or on the part of spectators. For example, someone who tries to damage the image of another can end up causing the dirty image is his own when trying to harm others.
49. The clemency that pardons criminals is murderous
This sentence indicates that not everything can be forgiven . Having compassion for someone who treats us badly will lead to having the opportunity to do it again and not to learn the consequences of their actions.
50. The old ones distrust the youth because they have been young
While it is not always true, the elderly have usually lived longer and had more experience than the young. They themselves have been, so they have an idea of what it means to be.
51. Whoever rises too close to the sun with golden wings melts them
Based on the myth of Icarus, this phrase proposes that the excess of ambition can degenerate into the perdition of all that one has.
52. Do not soil the source where you have quenched your thirst
This phrase pushes us to be grateful and not to damage what we have supported or given us support to continue.
53. Gold, the most deadly poison for the soul of men and the cause of more deaths in this abominable world than any forbidden poison
Greed and money are aspects that have motivated the human being to cause great misfortunes to benefit himself.
54. Everyone loves life, but the brave and honest man appreciates more honor
The given word and loyalty to what we believe are fundamental elements that can sometimes be placed above even the very survival.
55. Anger is a fiery horse; if it is given free rein it is soon exhausted by an excess of ardor
Anger and anger are emotions that emerge explosively but that tend to be short-lived if their expression is allowed.
56. Losing sleep, unweaving the intricate web of pain; the dream, rest from all fatigue, food the sweetest that is served at the table of life
This phrase, part of the Macbeth plot , reflects the need for rest as a pleasure and an element that allows us to escape from pain.
57. Violent pleasures end in violence and have their own death in their triumph, in the same way that fire and gunpowder are consumed in a voracious kiss
What is achieved with violence ends with violence.
- Related article: "The 11 types of violence (and the different kinds of aggression)"
58. It does not deserve to like honey who gets away from the hive because the bees have a sting
This phrase speaks of the need to have the courage to pursue one's dreams. If we do not dare to fear the consequences we will not deserve to get them by not risking them.
59. Strong reasons, strong actions
The greatest actions come from intense motivations.
60. The curses never go beyond the lips that utter them
That someone wishes us an evil does not have to affect us. He is the one who badly wishes others who will experience discomfort.
61. The man who is not moved by the harmony of harmonious sounds, is capable of all kinds of betrayals, stratagems and depravations
Art has always been linked with emotion . Being able to be moved by a song implies that there is a certain level of sensitivity, of seeing the good and beautiful of life and of others.
- Related article: "Stendhal syndrome: extreme emotions before beauty"
62. He laughs at the scars who has never felt a wound
Experiencing something gives us a better understanding of what it implies, whereas whoever has never experienced it can have a lesser capacity to understand what that something supposes,
63. Do not fear greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, some are imposed greatness and others greatness is great
Greatness is an abstract concept that can reach us or not, but that should not be feared either in others or in oneself.
64. Hell is empty, all the demons are here
This phrase reflects that Evil and good are concepts that the human being has created . It reflects the cruelty and greed prevailing in part of society.
65. It is very poor love that can be evaluated
As with happiness, this phrase indicates that if we are able to evaluate something it means that we can see it from the outside. That is, we have stopped feeling it subjectively.
66. I wasted my time and now time is wasting me
Our life is not infinite. This phrase does not encourage us to properly use our time before it is too late.
67. Oh, powerful love! That sometimes makes a beast man, and others, a man a beast
Love can change us to a great extent, making us capable of committing the greatest deeds or the worst atrocities.
68. If you do not remember the slightest madness in which love made you fall, you have not loved
Love makes us irrational and do things that we would not usually do, just to get closer to the beloved.
- Related article: "Stendhal syndrome: extreme emotions before beauty"
69. Virtue itself can not get rid of the blows of slander
Everything we do or even think is interpretable and subject to the opinion and criticism of others, no matter how fair and noble the act itself may be.
70. Even virtue itself becomes vice when it is badly applied
Although things can have a positive and well-intentioned origin, they can result in acts that are opposed to what they should be if they are misplaced. For example, distorted virtue can lead to intolerance, as well as distorted love to possessiveness.
71. Give a word to pain: the pain that does not speak moans in the heart until it breaks it
This phrase indicates the importance of expressing suffering and not keep it to yourself, since it is something extremely harmful, does not allow to fix the situation and can be causing long-term frustration.
72. Excellent thing is to have the strength of a giant, but using it as a giant is typical of a tyrant
Power in itself is not bad, but it must be applied with justice or it will become abusive and tyrannical.
73. Doubt that the stars are fire, doubt that the sun moves, doubt that the truth is a lie, but never doubt that I love you
Beautiful phrase in which the truth of love towards the beloved is expressed, although everything else may be a lie.
74. A greater talent, in women, greater indifference
A reflection that some may consider something sexist.
75. It is easier to get what you want with a smile than with the tip of the sword
Good manners can take you further than the threat.
76. No one admires speed, other than the negligent
On speed, which is often at odds with quality.
77. Keeping something that helps me remember you, would admit that I can forget you
There are memories that go beyond the material.
78. Sweet piety is the symbol of true greatness
A magnanimous being always acts with clemency.
79. Do not trust whoever has lost faith
If there is nothing to hold onto, there is nothing to rely on.
80. Words are full of falsehood or art; the look is the language of the heart
The look seldom deceives.
