Interesting book, I got once. The Timeless Wisdom of Shakespeare, by Michael Macrone. I highly recommend it too. It is very readable. You can probably read it all in one sitting, in fact. I certainly did.
Anyways, partly inspired by this book, and partly inspired by the fact that I studied Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" some years back, I came up with the following list of quotes. (And, BTW, my studying of the Merchant has an interesting story too. In high school, I was often "forced" to study Shakespeare. And it was quite a chore, although somewhat enjoyable too. But I studied the Merchant freely, and by myself. I highly recommend it too. It is really cool, and tells a timeless message, that easily applies today too.)
Please read:
The Timeless Wisdom of Shakespeare in the Merchant of Venice...
"The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
--Act IV, Scene I, Portia.
"All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold."
--Act 2, Scene 7, Scroll.
"I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A stage where every man must play a part, And mine a sad one."
--I, i, 77-79, Antonio.
"The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted."
--V, i, Lorenzo.
"I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you." --I, iii, 35-39, Shylock.
"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?"
--III, i, Shylock.
"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart:
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"
--Act 1, Scene 3, Antonio.
"Some men there are love not a gaping pig;
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;
And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose,
Cannot contain their urine."
--Act 4, Scene 1, 47-50, Shylock.
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
--Act 4, Sc. 1, Portia.
"If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages princes' palaces."
Act I, Scene II, Portia.
"The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree." --Act I, Scene 2, Portia.
"Truth will come to light...in the end, truth will out." --2.2.77-79, Lancelot.
"I never knew so young a body with so old a head." --4.1.164-65, Letter.
"The moon shines bright in such a night as this." --5.1.1, Lorenzo.
"If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends; for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend?
But lend it rather to thine enemy,
Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face
Exact the penalty."
--Act 1, Scene 3, Antonio.
"But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit." 2.6.37, Jessica.
"There is no vice so simple but assumes Some mark of virtue on his outward parts." --3.2.81, Bassanio.
"He is well paid that is well satisfied." --4.1.433, Portia.
"How many things by season season'd are To their right praise and true perfection!" --5.1.107, Portia.
"The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark When neither is attended [i.e., compared]." --V.1., Portia.
"You have among you many a purchased slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be season'd with such viands? You will answer
'The slaves are ours'." --Act 4, Scene 1, Shylock.
Anyways, partly inspired by this book, and partly inspired by the fact that I studied Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" some years back, I came up with the following list of quotes. (And, BTW, my studying of the Merchant has an interesting story too. In high school, I was often "forced" to study Shakespeare. And it was quite a chore, although somewhat enjoyable too. But I studied the Merchant freely, and by myself. I highly recommend it too. It is really cool, and tells a timeless message, that easily applies today too.)
Please read:
The Timeless Wisdom of Shakespeare in the Merchant of Venice...
"The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
--Act IV, Scene I, Portia.
"All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold."
--Act 2, Scene 7, Scroll.
"I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A stage where every man must play a part, And mine a sad one."
--I, i, 77-79, Antonio.
"The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted."
--V, i, Lorenzo.
"I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you." --I, iii, 35-39, Shylock.
"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?"
--III, i, Shylock.
"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart:
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"
--Act 1, Scene 3, Antonio.
"Some men there are love not a gaping pig;
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;
And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose,
Cannot contain their urine."
--Act 4, Scene 1, 47-50, Shylock.
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
--Act 4, Sc. 1, Portia.
"If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages princes' palaces."
Act I, Scene II, Portia.
"The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree." --Act I, Scene 2, Portia.
"Truth will come to light...in the end, truth will out." --2.2.77-79, Lancelot.
"I never knew so young a body with so old a head." --4.1.164-65, Letter.
"The moon shines bright in such a night as this." --5.1.1, Lorenzo.
"If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends; for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend?
But lend it rather to thine enemy,
Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face
Exact the penalty."
--Act 1, Scene 3, Antonio.
"But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit." 2.6.37, Jessica.
"There is no vice so simple but assumes Some mark of virtue on his outward parts." --3.2.81, Bassanio.
"He is well paid that is well satisfied." --4.1.433, Portia.
"How many things by season season'd are To their right praise and true perfection!" --5.1.107, Portia.
"The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark When neither is attended [i.e., compared]." --V.1., Portia.
"You have among you many a purchased slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be season'd with such viands? You will answer
'The slaves are ours'." --Act 4, Scene 1, Shylock.
