He may have penned his poems and plays over 400 years ago, but William Shakespeare's work continues to move and inspire even today. There's no denying the Bard's lasting influence; not only are his plays being performed somewhere in the world every hour, but many of Shakespeare's words and phrases still form a part of our daily lexicons.
As the greatest writer in the history of the English language, William Shakespeare certainly had a lot to say about love, hate, and life in general. So read on for the Bard's 10 of his most famous, and most iconic, quotes.
1. “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
- Twelfth Night
2. “My Oberon! What visions have I seen! Methought I was enamoured
of an ass.”
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
3. “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.”
- Macbeth
4. “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
- The Tempest
5. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”
- Romeo and Juliet
6. “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”
- Julius Caesar
7. “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.”
- As You Like It
8. “To be, or not to be; that is the question.”
- Hamlet
9. “All that glisters is not gold.”
- The Merchant of Venice
10. “Love all, trust a few.”
- All's Well That Ends Well
