Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, has left us with a treasure trove of quotes that have stood the test of time. Here are some of his most famous ones:

  • To be, or not to be: that is the question:

    "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them."

  • All the world's a stage:

    "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts..."

  • Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds:

    "Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken..."

  • The lady doth protest too much:

    "The lady doth protest too much, methinks, To mark the extent of her love."

  • Brevity is the soul of wit:

    "Brevity is the soul of wit."

  • The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves:

    "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Read more about Shakespeare's life and works.

Shakespeare portrait