6 Famous Quotations from Shakespeare

I’ll share with you some of the most famous short quotations from Shakespeare’s plays, with a little bit of background information to the quotation, and something about the character who is speaking. We will cover quotations from Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, and Richard III. However much, or however little you already know about Shakespeare, I hope I can encourage you to explore further, by reading one or more of his plays, watching one of the many film versions, or even doing some performing! Next, learn more about Shakespeare’s influence on English: And read a poem by Shakespeare with me: In this lesson: 00:00 Introduction to Shakespeare 01:37 “That one may smile and smile and be a villain“ — Hamlet 04:58 “Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania“ — A Midsummer Night’s Dream 07:38 “When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.“ — King Lear 10:45 “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.“ — The Merchant of Venice 12:52 “When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.“ — Much Ado About Nothing 15:29 “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!“ — Richard III