Shakespeare Quotes with printable bookmarks
These 28 Shakespeare quotes are kind, wise and quotable lines from the comedies, tragedies, romances and sonnets, each with its play, act and scene or sonnet number. Lines about love, mercy, friendship and courage were picked over darker ones. Every quote is copied from the Project Gutenberg Complete Works with the original spelling, and eight are printable quote bookmarks, 2 by 7 inches, four to a sheet.
28 shakespeare quotes
As You Like It William Shakespeare
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances
Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head
Hamlet William Shakespeare
This above all: to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes
King Lear William Shakespeare
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.
The course of true love never did run smooth
Though she be but little, she is fierce
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
The Tempest William Shakespeare
Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
All that glisters is not gold,
Often have you heard that told
Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet
Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Twelfth Night William Shakespeare
If music be the food of love, play on
be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em
Measure for Measure William Shakespeare
Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
All's Well That Ends Well William Shakespeare
Love all, trust a few,
Do wrong to none.
The Merry Wives of Windsor William Shakespeare
Better three hours too soon than a minute too late
The Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast
The Winter's Tale William Shakespeare
A merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad tires in a mile-a.
Julius Caesar William Shakespeare
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Sonnets William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Sources: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (William Shakespeare, 1623). Every quote above was checked word for word against these texts.
Print, cut, read
Printing tips for the bookmarks
- 4 per sheet. Each bookmark is 2 by 7 inches on US Letter, 50 mm by 7 inches on A4, with cut marks.
- Cardstock. 65 lb cover (about 176 gsm) feeds through most home printers. Which weight to buy.
- Print at 100%. Choose actual size, not fit to page, so the bookmarks keep their size. How to print bookmarks.
- Finish. Laminate it, then add a tassel through the dotted circle.
What is Shakespeare's greatest quote?
Shakespeare's greatest quote is a matter of taste, but Polonius's advice in Hamlet is a top choice: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” It comes from Act 1, Scene 3. All the world's a stage and what's in a name are close behind, and all three are on this page.
Famous Shakespeare quotes from the plays
The famous Shakespeare quotes most people know are here with their act and scene. Polonius tells his son to be true to his own self, Jaques says all the world's a stage, and Juliet asks what's in a name. Portia's quality of mercy, Prospero's stuff as dreams are made on and the fault in our stars are on the page too.
Shakespeare love quotes from the plays and sonnets
These Shakespeare love quotes come from both the plays and the sonnets. Lysander says the course of true love never did run smooth, Helena says love looks with the mind, and Duke Orsino asks music to play on if it is the food of love. Sonnets 18, 29 and 116 give the best known love lines of all.
Shakespeare quotes about life
Several Shakespeare quotes about life look at the whole of it. Jaques compares the world to a stage where people have their exits and entrances. Prospero says our little life is rounded with a sleep. Duke Senior finds sweet uses in adversity, and the Fool in King Lear gives short advice on how to live.
Romeo and Juliet quotes from Shakespeare
The Romeo and Juliet quotes from Shakespeare on this page are both spoken by Juliet in Act 2, Scene 2, the balcony scene. In one she asks what's in a name and says a rose would smell as sweet by any other name. In the other she says parting is such sweet sorrow. One of them is also a printable bookmark.
All the world's a stage and other Shakespeare quotes
The line all the world's a stage comes from As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7, spoken by Jaques. The page gives the first lines of the speech, where all the men and women are merely players with their exits and their entrances. It is also the first of the eight printable quote bookmarks.
Uplifting Shakespeare quotes
Uplifting Shakespeare quotes on this page include Portia's little candle, whose beams show how a good deed shines in a naughty world. Lucio warns that our doubts are traitors that stop us from trying. Malvolio reads that some are born great and some achieve greatness, and the Countess advises love all, trust a few.
Short Shakespeare quotes
Short Shakespeare quotes fit well on a bookmark or a card. Helena's though she be but little, she is fierce, Puck's lord, what fools these mortals be, and if music be the food of love, play on are all one line. Brevity is the soul of wit is another, and Polonius says it himself.
Questions
How did Shakespeare say "I love you"?
Shakespeare's characters rarely say I love you plainly and use images instead. In Sonnet 18 the speaker compares his love to a summer's day, and in Sonnet 116 he says love is not love if it changes. Both sonnets are on this page with their numbers.
What was Julius Caesar's quote?
The Julius Caesar quote on this page is spoken by Cassius, not by Caesar. He tells Brutus the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves, in Act 1, Scene 2. Caesar's own lines in the play are not listed here.
What are 10 famous quotes?
Famous Shakespeare quotes on this page include to thine own self be true, all the world's a stage, what's in a name, the course of true love, the quality of mercy and brevity is the soul of wit. Add parting is such sweet sorrow, if music be the food of love, shall I compare thee to a summer's day and the fault in our stars.
Is Shakespeare in the public domain?
Shakespeare's plays and sonnets have been in the public domain for centuries. He died in 1616. The text used here is the Project Gutenberg Complete Works.
Which edition are the act and scene numbers from?
Act and scene numbers follow the Project Gutenberg Complete Works, ebook 100. Divisions and some spellings, such as wing'd or strain'd, vary a little between editions. A line may sit in a slightly different scene in another book.
Can I print my own bookmarks?
The 8 quote bookmarks on this page print at home for free. Each PDF puts 4 bookmarks on a US Letter or A4 sheet with cut marks, in color or as an ink saver. Print at 100% on cardstock and cut along the marks.
What is the best material to print bookmarks on?
Cardstock is the best paper for printed bookmarks because it stays stiff inside a book. A 65 lb cover stock, about 176 gsm, feeds through most home printers. Plain paper is fine for a test print, and a laminated bookmark lasts longer.
