Bard Bits: Quotable Quotes, Words, and Phrases (and some not)
Shakespeare was a dramatist of note: He lived by writing things to quote. —H. C. Brunner
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.“ Julius Caesar
“Life’s but a walking shadow…“ Macbeth
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.“ As You Like It
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.“ Romeo and Juliet
“We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.“ The Tempest
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” Hamlet
The above are just a smatch of quotes that are Shakespeare derived. Below is a mere sampling of the 1,700 words Shakespeare is credited for either inventing, introducing, or making common. Some words attributed to Shakespeare are contested by word source experts like Merriam Webster and Mental Floss, but we’ll let them work it out, so note the *.
According to the Folger Shakespeare website (and these folk know their Bard Bits and Facts), the following are not Shakespeare quotes:
1. “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”
2. “When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”
3. “All glory comes from daring to begin.” from Eugene Ware
4. “But for those who love, time is eternal.”
5. “Love me or hate me, both are in my favor…If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart…If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.” I really thought this was from Shakespeare—apparently Some EE Cards thought so too.
Any “aha” (not a Shakespeare word as far as I know) moments from the list?
Pam Webb 