40 Best William Shakespeare Quotes

“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”

Spoken by Hamlet in his most famous soliloquy, this line encapsulates his contemplation of life, death, and the suffering inherent in existence versus the unknown terrors of the afterlife. It highlights his profound indecision and philosophical struggle.

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

Uttered by Marcellus, a guard, after the Ghost of Hamlet's father appears. This line foreshadows the moral and political corruption that permeates the Danish court, suggesting that the kingdom's troubles stem from a deeper, systemic decay.

“Frailty, thy name is woman!”

Hamlet exclaims this in his first soliloquy, lamenting his mother Gertrude's hasty marriage to Claudius after his father's death. It reflects his misogynistic despair and disillusionment with female constancy, generalizing his mother's perceived weakness to all women.

“Get thee to a nunnery!”

Hamlet aggressively tells Ophelia this during their confrontation. It can be interpreted as a command to enter a convent to preserve her purity from the corrupting world, or as a harsh insult implying she is a prostitute, reflecting his bitter view of women.

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.”

Polonius says this as an aside after speaking with Hamlet, who is feigning madness. It reveals Polonius's shrewd observation that Hamlet's seemingly nonsensical words contain a hidden, rational purpose, hinting at the intelligence behind Hamlet's "antic disposition."

“The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.”

Hamlet declares this at the end of his "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" soliloquy. He plans to use a play, "The Mousetrap," to reenact his father's murder, hoping to observe Claudius's reaction and confirm his guilt.

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Hamlet tells his friend Horatio this after encountering his father's ghost. It suggests the existence of supernatural phenomena and mysteries beyond human understanding and rational explanation, challenging Horatio's more pragmatic worldview.

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”

Polonius gives this advice to his son Laertes before Laertes departs for France. It's part of a longer speech of worldly wisdom, cautioning against financial entanglements that can damage both wealth and friendships.

“This above all: to thine own self be true.”

Also from Polonius's advice to Laertes, this line is often quoted as a maxim for integrity and authenticity. Polonius suggests that by being true to oneself, one cannot be false to others, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge and honesty.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Queen Gertrude says this while watching the play-within-a-play. She comments on the Player Queen's excessive vows of fidelity, ironically highlighting her own hasty remarriage and suggesting that over-the-top declarations often mask insincerity.

“Sweets to the sweet: farewell!”

Gertrude utters these words as she scatters flowers on Ophelia's grave. It is a poignant farewell, expressing her sorrow and regret for Ophelia's tragic death, and perhaps a wish that Ophelia could have been Hamlet's bride.

“Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Horatio speaks these tender words as Hamlet dies in his arms. It is a heartfelt eulogy for his friend, expressing deep affection and sorrow, and wishing Hamlet a peaceful passage into the afterlife.

“A little more than kin, and less than kind.”

Hamlet speaks this as an aside about Claudius. "Kin" refers to their new relationship as uncle-father, while "kind" means both natural and affectionate. Hamlet expresses his disgust at their unnatural kinship and Claudius's lack of humanity.

“O, that this too too solid flesh would melt.”

Hamlet's first soliloquy begins with this expression of suicidal despair. He wishes his physical body would dissolve, reflecting his profound grief over his father's death and his mother's hasty remarriage, and his desire to escape his painful existence.

“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!”

Hamlet says this after the Ghost reveals Claudius's murder. He feels the burden of a world thrown into disorder and laments his fate as the one chosen to restore balance, highlighting his initial reluctance and sense of overwhelming responsibility.

“Words, words, words.”

Hamlet dismissively replies with this to Polonius, who asks what he is reading. It underscores Hamlet's feigned madness and his contempt for Polonius's superficiality, suggesting that Polonius only understands the literal, not the deeper meaning.

“What a piece of work is a man!”

Hamlet expresses this to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, reflecting on humanity's potential for greatness and beauty. However, the full quote reveals his disillusionment, as he immediately follows it by saying man delights him not, highlighting his melancholic view.

“I must be cruel, only to be kind.”

Hamlet tells his mother, Gertrude, this after confronting her about her marriage to Claudius and accidentally killing Polonius. He believes his harshness is necessary to force her to see the error of her ways and save her soul.

“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.”

Hamlet speaks this while holding the skull of the former court jester, Yorick, in the graveyard. It is a meditation on mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and the inevitability of death, even for those once full of life and humor.

“The rest is silence.”

These are Hamlet's dying words. They signify his acceptance of death and the end of his tumultuous journey. It suggests a final peace after a life filled with noise, conflict, and existential questioning.

“Give me that man that is not passion's slave, and I will wear him in my heart's core, ay, in my heart of heart, as I do thee.”

Hamlet says this to Horatio, praising his friend's stoicism and emotional control. It expresses Hamlet's deep admiration for Horatio's steady temperament, contrasting it with his own volatile emotions, and solidifying their bond of true friendship.

“Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love.”

These lines are from a letter Hamlet wrote to Ophelia, which Polonius reads aloud. They express Hamlet's passionate and unwavering love for Ophelia, using hyperbolic comparisons to emphasize the certainty of his affection, despite his later cruel treatment.

“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”

Claudius speaks this to Gertrude, observing the rapid succession of tragedies befalling the royal family—Polonius's death, Ophelia's madness, and Laertes's return. It highlights the overwhelming and compounding nature of misfortune.

“There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.”

Hamlet tells Horatio this before the final duel. He expresses a belief in divine providence and fate, suggesting that despite human efforts and plans, a higher power ultimately guides and determines outcomes, offering a sense of resignation and trust.

“To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub.”

From Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, this line reveals his fear of what lies beyond death. While sleep offers an escape from suffering, the uncertainty of dreams (the afterlife) makes him hesitate, highlighting his existential dread.

“Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”

Claudius says this after observing Hamlet's erratic behavior during the "nunnery" scene with Ophelia. It reveals his suspicion and fear that Hamlet's madness, whether real or feigned, poses a significant threat to his reign and must be monitored closely.

“The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown.”

The Ghost of Hamlet's father reveals this to Hamlet, identifying Claudius as the murderer. This metaphor clearly names Claudius as the treacherous villain, setting the stage for Hamlet's quest for revenge and exposing the deep corruption at court.

“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.”

The Ghost commands Hamlet with these words, laying upon him the solemn duty to avenge his father's death. This imperative drives much of the play's plot, initiating Hamlet's internal and external conflicts regarding justice and retribution.

“O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.”

Claudius speaks this in a soliloquy while attempting to pray. He acknowledges the gravity of his sin—fratricide—and expresses his profound guilt. This moment reveals his inner torment and the moral corruption underlying his kingship.

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.”

From Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, this line suggests that overthinking and moral considerations (conscience) prevent decisive action. It explains why people endure suffering rather than facing the unknown of death, highlighting Hamlet's own inaction.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”

The witches chant this in Act I, Scene I, setting the tone of moral inversion and deception.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?”

Macbeth's soliloquy in Act II, Scene I, as he hallucinates a dagger before murdering Duncan.

“Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?”

Macbeth's guilt-ridden words in Act II, Scene II, after killing Duncan.

“Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”

The witches' incantation in Act IV, Scene I, as they prepare their potion.

“Out, damned spot! out, I say!”

Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking speech in Act V, Scene I, as she tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands.

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”

Macbeth's despairing soliloquy in Act V, Scene V, upon learning of Lady Macbeth's death.

“Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage”

Continuation of Macbeth's 'Tomorrow' soliloquy, reflecting on the futility of life.

“Lay on, Macduff, / And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!”

Macbeth's final challenge to Macduff in Act V, Scene VIII, before their duel.

“Beware the Ides of March.”

The Soothsayer warns Caesar in Act I, Scene 2, but Caesar dismisses the warning.

“Et tu, Brute?”

Caesar's last words in Act III, Scene 1, upon seeing Brutus among the assassins.