Quotes in English from Shakespeare's works. Quotes from the works of William Shakespeare

“To be, or not to be: that is the question...” (“To be or not to be - that is the question”) - one of the most famous expressions in world literature. So famous that, probably, even those who have not read the tragedy “Hamlet” by W. Shakespeare know this quote and use it in speech. Let us also touch upon the pearl of English literature - the dramaturgy of William Shakespeare.

Quotes from William Shakespeare's plays

Almost all of Shakespeare's plays can be analyzed into quotes that are still relevant today. Let us recall some of the famous Shakespearean expressions that have firmly entered the Russian language.

"Brevity is the soul of wit" ("Hamlet") - famous quote from Hamlet with literal translation "Brevity is the soul of the mind". It was Shakespeare who first expressed this idea in his play on behalf of Lord Polonius. And later A.P. Chekhov will write in a letter to his brother Alexander "Brevity is the soul of wit". This quote became very popular, and in Russian literature it is Chekhov’s name that is associated with one of the most famous statements about brevity. But you and I remember Shakespeare's expression “Brevity is the soul of wit”, which is the original source.

“Frailty, your name is woman!” ("Hamlet")-Oh women, your name is treachery! This line was spoken by Hamlet when he was angry with his mother Gertrude for marrying Claudius immediately after his father's death. Thus, in his own words, Hamlet attributes the weakness and moral instability of one woman to all women in general. Frailty [ˈfreɪl.ti ] - fragility, weakness.

“Love is blind”- "Love is blind". This expression was first used by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales (around 1405). But the phrase did not become widely known then and did not appear in print again until Shakespeare used it in several of his plays, including The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V and The Merchant of Venice. So, thanks to Shakespeare, the expression "Love is blind" has become very popular and frequently used.

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in it” ("Hamlet" ) — « Even though it's crazy, there's consistency in it.". And these words are spoken by Polonius in response to the insane, incomprehensible speech of Prince Hamlet. In modern English this phrase is used as an idiom “There’s a method in my (or somebody’s) madness”, which means that if someone is acting strange (crazy), there is a reason for it.

Shakespearean idioms

It's Greek to me - means that you don’t know or don’t understand something, it’s like an unfamiliar foreign language for you. Russian equivalent - “This is a Chinese letter for me”. The phrase originally appeared in Latin, "Graecum est, non legitur" ("This is Greek, it cannot be read"). The fact is that in the Middle Ages, scribes in monasteries marked with this phrase those parts of the Greek text that they could not translate. This phrase entered the English language thanks to Shakespeare and his tragedy “Julius Caesar” (1599) - "It was Greek to me" . This expression was also used by the English playwright Thomas Decker.

“I will wear my heart upon my sleeve” (“Othello”) - and these are lines from Shakespeare's Othello. To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve means not to hide, not to hold back emotions, literally “to wear your heart on your sleeve.” The origin of this idiom is associated with an interesting medieval custom. During knightly tournaments, knights, as a sign of their devotion, tied a ribbon on their hands, which was given to them by their lady of the heart. Thus, the knights openly told everyone about their affection. It was Shakespeare who recorded this expression in writing in this meaning in his “Othello”.

"The world is my oyster" ("The Merry Wives of Windsor") is a very unusual phrase that means “There are many different opportunities in the world,” and in order to achieve something in life, you need to grab every opportunity. An oyster with a pearl inside symbolizes wealth and prosperity. This idiom first appeared in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sir Falstaff refuses to lend money to Pistol, who responds with the famous phrase “Why, then, the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open”.

"In a pickle" ("The Tempest") is a very original idiom, which is often associated with the name of William Shakespeare, since he was one of the first to use this expression in his play “The Tempest.” In modern English be in a pickle means "to be in trouble, in a difficult situation." In a pickle(literally “in brine, in marinade”) - means “in a trouble (in trouble).” If we go back further, we find that the word "pickle" comes from the Dutch word "pekel" - pickle (spicy, salty vinegar, which was used to pickle vegetables). Most likely the value in a pickle“in trouble” came from exactly that: to be in a difficult situation, like vegetables that have fallen into a brine, mixed up and completely disoriented. But it is also obvious that in Shakespeare this expression means “to be in a state of intoxication, that is, to be in a deplorable state” (pickled - pickled, salty, drunk). This can be seen from the context in which this phrase is used:

Alonso: How came thou in this pickle? (in modern English “How did you get so drunk?”)
Trinculo: I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last, …

Note that the idioms given above are very original. At the same time, they are widely used in modern English. I hope that you will begin to use them in your speech, not forgetting who we owe these wonderful expressions to.

The outer golden beauty becomes platinum when it covers the inner diamond beauty. And the gold clasps of the tome multiply the cost of the emerald rarity with valuable contents a hundredfold.

You are not near - and the darkness hid the day. I saw it or appeared nearby - everything around was illuminated by the rays of the sun.

Carelessness and frivolity are a disadvantage of young people. Old people are afraid of excessive, unnecessary care and control. - William Shakespeare

It’s easy to win my love with good deeds and natural gentleness and affection. Only lustful glances and temptation repel.

There are losses that console and reassure. Just like acquisitions, upon seeing which we weep inconsolably.

A true friend can silently tolerate weakness and shortcomings.

Peacemakers are revered and worshiped. They love everyone - they trust only a select few. They don’t wish harm on anyone, much less do it, otherwise evil will shoot out like a boomerang.

W. Shakespeare: The conception of a monster, the birth of a monster, is wild jealousy.

Large fish mercilessly eat small gupiks - this is a mirror of earthly human society.

The mind inhibits sensuality and emotionality. The mind curbs the quirks and whims of fate.

The vows of lovers seem impossible - for the most part, plans are exceeded, dreams come true.

Read more beautiful quotes from William Shakespeare on the following pages:

Love is a beacon raised above the storm, not fading in the darkness and fog, Love is the star with which a sailor determines his place in the ocean.

O women, your name is treachery!

A light heart lives long.

The fewer words, the greater the feeling.

Is there anything more monstrous than an ungrateful person?

Be true to yourself, and then, as surely as night follows day, loyalty to others will follow.

Where there are few words, they have weight.

Jealous people do not need a reason: they are often jealous for no reason at all, but because they are jealous.

Millions sleep in the courtyards, which are called the marriage bed

With one glance you can kill love, with one glance you can resurrect it.

People are the masters of their own destiny.

Seeing and feeling is being, thinking, living.

Do not go to the same extremes in apologies as in insults.

Be equal in everything, for in the very flow, in the storm and, I would say, in the tornado of passion, you must learn and observe a measure that would give it softness.

The stronger the passion, the sadder its end.

If you want to achieve the goal of your aspiration, ask more politely about the road you have lost your way.

External beauty is even more precious when it covers the inner. A book whose golden clasps close its golden contents acquires special respect.

What is a person like when he is busy only sleeping and eating? An animal, nothing more.

Love is omnipotent: there is no grief on earth - higher than its punishment, no happiness - higher than the pleasure of serving it.

Our doubts are our traitors. They make us lose what we could possibly win if we weren't afraid to try.

Truth loves to act openly.

He who loves to be flattered is worth a flatterer.

Time passes differently for different people.

Don't grab the wheel when it's rolling down: you'll break your neck in vain. Now, if it goes up, hold on to it: you yourself will be at the top.

The best gift is something that is needed.

Self-esteem is never as vile as self-abasement.

Happy is the one who, hearing blasphemy against himself, can use it to correct himself.

When friendship begins to weaken and cool, she always resorts to increased politeness.

If a sharp word left marks, we would all be dirty.

The earth, nature’s mother, is also her grave: what she gave birth to, she buried.

Words are the wind, and swear words are a draft that is harmful.

Too much flavor kills the taste.

It is difficult to intimidate a heart that has not been stained by anything.

No vice is so simple that it cannot assume the appearance of virtue from the outside.

Desire is the father of thought.

Every obstacle to love only strengthens it.

To catch happiness, you need to be able to run.

Excessive haste, just like slowness, leads to a sad end.

Praising what has been lost creates precious memories.

A friend's advice is the best support against enemies.

Power is dangerous when conscience is at odds with it.

Great grief heals less.

Living only for yourself is an abuse.

Love is poor if it can be measured.

The one who trumpets love to everyone does not love.

Love is stronger than the fear of death.

There is no complete happiness without an admixture of suffering.

A wise fool is better than a stupid sage.

Health is more valuable than gold.

One of the most beautiful consolations that life offers us is... that a person cannot sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Denial of one's talent is always a guarantee of talent.

Folly and wisdom are caught as easily as contagious diseases. Therefore, choose your comrades.

If the sickle of death is inexorable, leave descendants to argue with it!

When a father devotes himself to his son, both laugh; when a son devotes himself to his father, both cry.

Of all the low feelings, fear is the lowest.

And your own dirt is miles and closer

Love runs away from those who chase it, and throws itself on the neck of those who run away.

In order to evaluate someone's quality, you must have a certain amount of this quality in yourself.

In suffering, the only outcome is to ignore adversity to the best of your ability.

A liar knows how to hide behind affection.

To the vile both kindness and wisdom seem vile; dirt - only dirt to taste.

Tears are women's weapons.

The best thing is the word spoken directly and simply.

The rotten cannot be touched.

And good arguments must yield to better ones.

Doubts are traitors: by making us afraid of trying, they deprive us of the good that we could often acquire.

Do not give language to rash thoughts and do not bring any rash thought into execution.

My honor is my life; both grow from the same root. Take away my honor and my life will end.

The hope of joy is a little less than the fulfillment of pleasure.

How far the rays of a tiny candle extend! In the same way, a good deed shines in a world of bad weather.

Friendship is not cemented by intelligence; it is easily torn apart by stupidity.

Philosophy is sweet milk in misfortune.

And nature must submit to necessity.

It is useless to grieve about what has been lost and irretrievably lost.

Music drowns out sadness.

Words of love grow numb when separated.

Time is the mother and nurse of all good things.

If you get carried away by jealous suspicion, you can insult a completely innocent person.

Youth tends to sin with haste.

We know who we are, but we don't know who we can be.

The fiercest beast is not a stranger to pity. I'm alien, so that means I'm not a beast.

This cold night will turn us all into fools and madmen

Sometimes fate leads ships to port without helmsmen.

Our personality is a garden, and our will is its gardener.

Nothing is always equally good, because good things, becoming too full-blooded, will die from their own excess.

A girl’s honor is all her wealth, it is more valuable than any inheritance.

We pray for mercy, and this prayer should teach us to respect merciful actions.

Love is poor if it can be measured.

Fear is a constant companion of untruth.

In nothing do I find such happiness as in a soul that preserves the memory of my good friends.

The common fate of all boasters: whether sooner or later, you will certainly end up in trouble.

Youth is a crazy hare that jumps over the trap of crippled prudence.

Intrigue is the strength of the weak; even fools are smart enough to do harm.

Brevity is the soul of the mind, and verbosity is perishable embellishment.

Grief hits harder if it notices that one is succumbing to it.

A true friend is faithful everywhere, in good times and in bad times.

Whoever lacks a decisive will lacks intelligence.

It is childish to cry from fear of what is inevitable.

Be polite to everyone, but not friendly.

You will live in the world ten times, repeated ten times in children, and you will have the right in your last hour to triumph over conquered death.

True love cannot speak, because true love is expressed in deeds rather than in words.

Confirmation of the truth is never superfluous, even when all doubt sleeps.

Love gives nobility even to those to whom nature has denied it.

Men look like April when they are courting, and December when they are already married.

Arrogance is a fragile material: it shrinks like washed fabric.

She can’t even imagine love - she’s so in love with herself

All lovers vow to fulfill more than they can, and do not even fulfill what is possible.

The greatest insult that can be caused to an honest person is to suspect him of being dishonest.

Look at my children. My former freshness is alive in them. They are the justification for my old age.

There is no place for jokes in the insensitive mind.

Small cutesy poems irritate the nerves more than the creaking of unoiled wheels.

The work we do willingly heals pain.

These are excerpts from his literary works, poetic or prose. Considering that the playwright did not leave behind lengthy memoirs, autobiographies and letters, this is the only source of his thoughts.

For his time, Mr. Shakespeare was a true literary revolutionary. His plays reflected the ideas of the Renaissance and romanticism, ancient traditions, and a detailed description of the mores of society and the motives of actions.

Sayings about love

The tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" is one of the most famous works in the world, part of the school curriculum in many countries, and a popular subject for film adaptations. Almost all of the playwright's plays are permeated with the theme of love passions. Among the most famous quotes from William Shakespeare are the following:

"Love is weaker than the fear of death."
"Love and reason rarely live in harmony."
“Love is blind” (a popular variation is “Love is blind and feeble-minded”).
"The stronger the passion, the sadder the end."
“Love runs away from those who chase it. And it throws itself on the neck of those who run away.”
“Words of love grow numb when separated.”
"Love cannot be stopped by stone walls."

Statements about love (especially unhappy or unrequited love) were at the peak of popularity in the 19th century, when strict morals forced people to use allegories, and love correspondence sometimes resembled a code.

Aphorisms about life, feelings and death

The playwright is a master of “turning out” human nature, showing the innermost, exaggerating emotions, showing ugly manifestations of feelings. Many of William Shakespeare's quotes about life have become a kind of motto or motivation. The saying is especially widely known: “Do what you must, and let what will be be.”

"Follow the voice of reason, not anger."
"Pleasant work cures grief."
"Fear is the lowest of feelings."
"Youth often sins in haste."
"People are the masters of their own destiny."
“To catch happiness, you need to learn to run fast.”

Shakespeare, being the creator of cult plays and the ruler of thoughts, was able to talk about death in beautiful words. His dramas dealt with the end of life without causing viewers and readers to feel an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. The most famous aphorism on this topic sounds like this: “If the sickle of death is inexorable, leave it to posterity - let them argue with it!”

One cannot ignore William Shakespeare's thoughts and quotes about human nature:

“Power is dangerous when conscience is at odds with it.”
"Tears are a woman's weapon."
"Arrogance is a fragile material."
"Virtue does not escape the scratches of slander."

and religion

William Shakespeare's quotes, known to a wide circle of people, contain almost no mention of God, faith and religion. However, the playwright was distinguished by decent religiosity for the 16th century. In his works, characters cry out to God, their actions are imbued with spirituality. Shakespeare also dedicated some of his sonnets to religion. And not only Christian, but also ancient (sonnet No. 153 “God Cupid”). Among the most famous sayings:

"Ignorance is the curse of God. Knowledge is the wings that carry us to heaven."
"The devil is able to quote Scripture for his own purposes."
2 Before God had time to create a dozen women, the devils had already seduced their heels.”

Shakespeare's idioms and translation features

In his works, the playwright often uses idioms - phrases whose meaning is understandable only to native speakers. So, when translating some works, it is necessary to use expressions that are similar in meaning or even remove idioms from the text.

It was Greek to me (tragedy “Julius Caesar”, 1599) - can be translated as “you can’t understand something because it sounds like a foreign language.” The closest in meaning is “Chinese letter”.

In a pickle (the play “The Storm”) is completely impossible to translate into Russian, because its meaning is to describe the state: “To be in a situation where you feel like a vegetable placed in a marinade, wrinkled and salted.”

Compared to Russian, the playwright’s native language is too static, and therefore William Shakespeare’s English translations sound different. It all depends on the translator and the context. But regardless of the place of words in the statement, their meaning remains the same.

Love is poor if it can be measured. ("Antony and Cleopatra", Antony)

The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actors, they have their own entrances and departures, and everyone plays more than one role. ("As You Like It", Jacques)

Seeing and feeling is being, thinking is living.

Time passes differently for different people. (As You Like It, Rosalind)

After all, to know a person well is to know yourself. ("Hamlet")

All lovers vow to fulfill more than they can and do not even fulfill what is possible. ("Troilus and Cressida", Cressida)

There is nothing good or bad in the world - we came up with it all ourselves. (Hamlet, act 2, scene 2)

Have more than you show. Say less than you know. ("King Lear")

A fool thinks he is smart; A smart person knows that he is stupid. ("As You Like It", Touchstone)

External beauty is even more precious when it covers the inner. A book whose golden clasps close its golden contents acquires special respect. ("Romeo and Juliet", Capulet)

A rose smells like a rose, whether you call it a rose or not. ("Romeo and Juliet", Juliet)

True love cannot speak, because true love is expressed in deeds rather than in words.

What a strange fate that we sin most precisely when we do too much good to others.

To be or not to be - that is the question. ("Hamlet")

If music is food for love, play louder.

We know who we are, but we don't know who we can be. (Hamlet, Ophelia)

The sky lights us up, like we are a torch, to shine for others; after all, if you don’t radiate virtue, then it’s the same as not having it. ("Measure for Measure", Duke)

Our life is one wandering shadow, a pathetic actor who swaggers on stage for an hour, and then disappears without a trace; a tale told by a madman, full of sound and fury and making no sense.

Hope is the staff of love.

A wise fool is better than a stupid sage.

There are many things in the world, friend Horatio, that our sages never dreamed of. ("Hamlet")

Self-love is not as deserving of condemnation as lack of self-respect.

A coward dies at every danger that threatens him, but a brave man dies only once.

Excessive care is the same curse of old people as carelessness is the grief of youth.

What is a person like when he is busy only sleeping and eating? An animal, nothing more. ("Hamlet", Hamlet)

Excessive haste, just like slowness, leads to a sad end.

It is useless to grieve about what is lost and irretrievably lost.

One of the most beautiful consolations that life offers us is that a person cannot sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Experience is acquired only by activity and improved over time.

To appreciate someone's quality, you must have some of that quality in yourself.

He who loves to be flattered is worth a flatterer. ("Timon of Athens", Apemantus)

The one who trumpets love to everyone does not love.

Day after day we whisper: “Tomorrow, tomorrow” / So with quiet steps life creeps / Towards the last unfinished page. ("Macbeth", Macbeth)

Happy is the one who, hearing blasphemy against himself, can use it to correct himself.

There is no complete happiness without an admixture of suffering.

To triumph over conquered death. ("Sonnets")

Be true to yourself, and then, as surely as night follows day, loyalty to others will follow. (Hamlet, Polonius)

Time is the mother and nurse of all good things. ("Two Gentlemen of Verona", Proteus)