Have you often wondered if Shakespeare's pen was sharpened by his own
personal life experiences, or if he was just a guy who was gifted with
an extraordinary writing style, was extremely witty, and just had a
way with words?
At any rate, most of his quotes are memorable, and many can be applied to everyday living. Some people find Shakespeare difficult to read. No problem. Don't read the entire play or poem. Just extract the quotes that resonate with you. You can find the quotes practically everywhere. But Allie Esiri made a convenient compilation.
Shakespeare quotes really are not just words on a piece of paper. They really do have real-life applications for all of us. Take these three (3) quotes as examples.
1. “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 1, Scene 1
I think we all agree that this is easier said than done.
Love all? That's insane! When it comes to love, humans are very
selective. That would not be so bad if, when we made the choice not
to love, we simply remained neutral. But many choose to hate instead.
However, truth be told, if each person were told that they only had
two arbitrary choices in this life - Love All or Hate All – would
we not all choose love? Of course! (Unless you're a spawn of Satan.
:lol: )
Trust a few? We are born pure, innocent, and carefree souls. Then …
life happened! If we are fortunate in life, we learn at an early
age “the few” who can be trusted. But for some, lack of trust is
their defense mechanism. They suspect everybody, and everyone is
automatically deemed untrustworthy until those people can prove
otherwise. Most of the time, people like this have been hurt badly by
others they did trust, and consequently, nobody will ever get the
chance to cause them pain again. The self-defense reaction is normal.
But know this. Life will be a very heavy burden if you have
absolutely no other human being that you can trust.
Do wrong to none? None? You mean NOBODY? But what if ____________?
Everybody has something that goes in that blank. EVERYBODY!! And for
many people, their justification is always that wrong was done to
them first. But in the end, one can not disagree with the wise words
of Master Shakespeare. His advice, simply stated, is just math. “Two
wrongs don't make it right.”
2. “This above all: to thine own self be true.”
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3, spoken by Polonius
Who knows you better than you know yourself? Even the people you love
and hold dear, who you trust the most and would give your heart to,
don't know you better than you know yourself. If you lie to yourself
and deceive yourself, without me being a mental health professional,
I can predict that you're headed for a mental breakdown. Lying is a bad
thing to do. Lying to yourself is the worst thing you could ever do!
It will lead to delusion. Delusion is defined as an idiosyncratic
belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being
contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational
argument, typically a symptom of mental disorder.
3. “The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”
The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene 1, spoken by Portia
This was the first Shakespearean quote that I was required to
memorize and I have never forgotten it. If you never hear another
quote or read anything else written by William Shakespeare, read
these words, keep them in your heart, and embrace every opportunity
you get to show mercy. You, the giver, and the one who receives from
you, i.e., the taker, will both be blessed.
No really! Try it! ❤
If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:
William Shakespeare: The Writer We Love to Write About (archive copy - site shut down)
