Shakespeare William, English playwright and poet. Born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon in the family of a craftsman and merchant. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the daughter of a neighboring landowner, and in 1857 he and his wife moved to London, where from the late 1580s he worked as an actor (he left the stage around 1603), director and playwright. Written by Shakespeare in 1593-1594. the poems “Venus and Adonis” and “Lucretia”, which developed the traditions of philosophical lyricism of the Renaissance, brought him wide recognition, as well as 154 sonnets, apparently autobiographical, written between 1592 and 1600. (published in 1609; according to contemporaries - “mellifluous” and “sweet”). Since 1594, Shakespeare has been a shareholder of R. Burbage's theater troupe "The Lord Chamberlain's Men" (since 1603 - the king's troupe).
The Shakespearean canon includes 37 plays, 18 of which were published during the author's lifetime. 1st period (1590-1594) - so-called. “early chronicles” - the historical plays “Richard III”, “Henry of HU”, the tragedy “Titus Andronicus”, the comedies “The Taming of the Shrew” and “The Comedy of Errors”. 2nd period (1595 to 1600) - “chronicles close to tragedy” - “Richard II”, “King John”, romantic comedies “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Venetian” The Merchant", the first mature tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", chronicles close to the comedy "Henry V", the peaks of the Shakespearean comedy writer "Much Ado About Nothing", "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night". 3rd period (1600-1608) - a turning point in creativity - the tragedies “Julius Caesar”, “Hamlet”, the so-called. “dark comedies” “Troilus and Cressyda”, “The end is the crown of the matter”, “Measure for measure”, the greatest tragedies - “Othel-lo”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth”, and tragedies from ancient life “Antony” and Cleopatra", "Coriolanus", "Timon of Athens". 4th period (1609-1613) - romantic tragicomedies “Pericles”, “Cymbeline”, “The Winter's Tale”, “The Tempest” and the late chronicle “Henry US” (possibly with the participation of J. Fletcher).
Around 1612, Shakespeare returned to Stratford, where he died on April 23, 1616.
Shakespeare's popularity was such that his first collected works date back to 1623 (all plays except Pericles). He was highly valued by his contemporaries (F. Meares, B. Johnson), and Voltaire called him a “brilliant barbarian.” It has been widely known in Russia since the 1st half of the 18th century. From 1929 (The Taming of the Shrew) to the present time, most of Shakespeare's plays have been filmed.
Shakespeare's sayings and aphorisms
# The greatest insult that can be caused to an honest person is to suspect him of being dishonest.
# Seeing and feeling is being, thinking, living.
# External beauty is even more precious when it covers the inner. A book whose golden clasps close gold content, gains special respect.
# You cannot achieve more with immorality than with truth. Virtue is courageous and goodness never fears. I will never regret doing a good deed.
# Blessed are the peacemakers on earth. Love everyone, trust the chosen ones, do no harm to anyone.
# Great grief heals less.
# Be true to yourself, and then, as surely as night follows day, loyalty to others will follow.
# Arrogance is a fragile material: It shrinks like washed fabric.
# Health is more valuable than gold.
# The earth, nature’s mother, is also her grave: what she gave birth to, she buried.
# If a sharp word left marks, we would all be dirty.
# If the sickle of death is inexorable, Leave descendants to argue with it!
# Is there anything more monstrous than an ungrateful person?
# Desire is the father of thought.
# Living only for yourself is an abuse.
# Note to yourself, when herds or young horses rush wildly in the steppes, Dashing herds - they gallop madly, Roar and neigh - then the blood plays in them. Hot. But as soon as they hear just the sound of a trumpet or some other Sound of music, everyone will instantly stand rooted to the spot, and a wild look will transform into humility and meekness under the power of a lovely melody...
# Of all the low feelings, fear is the lowest.
# Excessive care is the same curse of old people as carelessness is the grief of youth.
# He who loves to be flattered is worth a flatterer.
# A light heart lives long.
# Love is omnipotent: there is no grief on earth - higher than its punishment, no happiness - higher than the pleasure of serving it.
# And good arguments must yield to better ones.
# How far the rays of a tiny candle extend! In the same way, a good deed shines in a world of bad weather.
# When friendship begins to weaken and cool, she always resorts to increased politeness.
# Those who lack a decisive will lack intelligence.
# Brevity is the soul of the mind, and verbosity is perishable embellishment.
# Love is a beacon raised above the storm, not fading in the darkness and fog, Love is the star with which a sailor determines his place in the ocean.
# Love gives nobility even to those to whom nature has denied it.
# Love stronger than fear death.
# People are the masters of their own destiny.
# Youth tends to sin with haste.
# Intrigue is the strength of the weak; even fools are smart enough to do harm.
# And nature must submit to necessity.
# Truth loves to act openly.
# True love cannot speak, because true feeling is expressed by deeds rather than words.
# My honor is my life; both grow from the same root. Take away my honor and my life will end.
# Music drowns out sadness.
# We pray for mercy, and this prayer should teach us to respect merciful actions.
# Excessive haste, just like slowness, leads to a sad end.
# Sometimes we find consolation in the loss itself, and sometimes we bitterly mourn the gain itself.
# Where words are few, they have weight.
# Folly and wisdom are caught as easily as contagious diseases. Therefore, choose your comrades.
# The rotten cannot be touched.
# To the vile both kindness and wisdom seem vile; dirt - only dirt to taste.
# Grief hits harder if it notices that it is being succumbed to.
# Kindness in a woman, not seductive glances, will win my love.
# If there were no reason, sensuality would overwhelm us. That's what intelligence is for, to curb its absurdities.
# Be courteous to everyone, but not friendly.
# Be equal in everything, for in the very flow, in the storm and, I would say, in the tornado of passion, you must learn and observe a measure that would give it softness.
# Praising what has been lost creates precious memories.
But wine both arouses and repels lust, arouses desire, but prevents satisfaction. Therefore, good drink, one might say, only does what it does with debauchery: it arouses and weakens, kindles and extinguishes, irritates and deceives, lifts up, but does not allow to stand.
disease
Those who have never known wounds joke about illness.
politeness
Be polite to everyone, but not friendly.
loyalty
Be true to yourself, and then, as surely as night follows day, loyalty to others will follow.
wife
If all those with obstinate wives reached despair, then a tenth of humanity would hang themselves.
women
Silent diamonds often have a stronger effect on the female mind than any eloquence.
You will never find a woman without a ready answer, unless she ends up without a tongue.
The ugliness of Satan is nothing compared to the evil ugliness of a woman!
life
Seeing and feeling is being, thinking is living.
Human life is a fabric of good and bad threads.
Our life is one wandering shadow, a pathetic actor who swaggers on stage for an hour, and then disappears without a trace; a tale told by a madman, full of sound and fury and making no sense.
laws
The essence of the law is philanthropy.
health
Health is more valuable than gold.
intrigue
Intrigue is the strength of the weak. Even a fool is always smart enough to do harm.
lie
A deceitful face will hide everything that a treacherous heart has in mind.
Love
Love is poor if it can be measured.
All lovers vow to fulfill more than they can and do not even fulfill what is possible.
Even the vows of lovers are no more expensive than the oaths of innkeepers. Both seal fake invoices.
True love cannot speak, because true love is expressed in deeds rather than in words.
Love runs away from those who chase it, and throws itself on the neck of those who run away.
Is it not the eternal mockery of love that a woman cannot love the one who loves her?
With one glance you can kill love, with one glance you can resurrect it.
It is more dangerous and harmful to hide love than to announce it.
The love that is sought is good, and even better is the love that is born without searching.
People
Great people often died at the hands of idlers.
We know who we are, but we don't know who we can be.
Little people become great when the great ones are transferred.
To appreciate someone's quality, you must have some of that quality in yourself.
dreams
What is impossible for simple eyes,
That inspired eye
We will understand easily in deep ecstasy.
mercy
We pray for mercy, and this prayer should teach us to respect merciful actions.
silence
Let them blame you for your silence; they wouldn’t blame you just for being talkative.
wisdom
Poor wisdom is often the slave of rich stupidity.
men
Men look like April when they are courting, and December when they are already married.
The disappearance of one, the only woman in the world will stop nothing except the heart of one, the only man.
music
If music is food for love, play louder.
hope
Hope is the staff of love.
pleasure
Eternal pleasure is equivalent to eternal deprivation.
The hope of pleasure is almost as pleasant as pleasure itself.
wit
The success of a joke depends on the ear of the listener, but not on the tongue that said it.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
condemnation
You are so eager to judge the sins of others, start with your own and won’t get to others.
Self-love is not as deserving of condemnation as lack of self-respect.
vices
No vice is so simple that it cannot assume the appearance of virtue from the outside.
honors
New honors are like new dresses: they must be worn in order for them to fit well.
crime
Dress crime in gold - and the strong spear of justice will break without hurting; dress him in rags - even a pygmy straw will pierce him.
nature
The earth, nature’s mother, is also her grave: What she gave birth to, she buried.
Nature will always take its toll.
Fish in the sea act like people on earth: the big ones eat the small ones.
prose
There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet.
conversations
Have more than you show. Say less than you know.
intelligence
A wise fool is better than a stupid sage.
religion
The heretic is not the one who burns at the stake, but the one who lights the fire.
words
Where there are few words, they have weight.
Words are always words.
death
A coward dies at every danger that threatens him, but a brave man dies only once.
doubts
Our doubts are our traitors. They make us lose what we could possibly win if we weren't afraid to try.
suffering
The poor squashed insect suffers just like a dying giant.
passion
The stronger the passion, the sadder its end.
fate
What a strange fate that we sin most precisely when we do too much good to others.
Having experienced the taste of true love, I am forced to admit that kings are very poor. And let me remain misunderstood.
There is no barrier in this world that sincere love cannot overcome. – William Shakespeare
There is no greater harmony in the world than soft sound voices of love. She is able to pacify anyone, even the gods.
Sincere feelings cannot be expressed openly in words. If you talk to everyone about them, then the door of your soul is closed.
W. Shakespeare: Often lovers are no better than innkeepers: both of them seal false accounts with their oaths.
In separation, real feelings only grow stronger, feigned ones fade away.
You can only know true happiness and sorrow in this life by falling in love and being abandoned.
A person who says that he does not show off his feelings in reality and does not love, because it is impossible not to express the feelings overwhelming you with actions.
Lovers separated against their will seem to be irrevocably speechless.
Continuation beautiful quotes Read Shakespeare on the pages:
All lovers vow to fulfill more than they can and do not even fulfill what is possible.
Stinginess clings to old age; love is for youth.
Love is poor if it can be measured.
Words of love grow numb when separated.
We know what we are, but know not what we may become
A woman will throw herself into fire and water in pursuit of a tender heart. – A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart.
With one glance you can kill love, with one glance you can resurrect it. (Venus and Adonis)
Love is the spirit of fire. – Love is a spirit of all compact of fire.
Love gives nobility even to those to whom nature has denied it.
Love is so beautiful sunlight after the rain.
The course of true love is never absolutely smooth. – The course of true love never did run smooth.
They do not love that do not show their love.
When I see you, I fall in love, and you smile because you know. – When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.
I’ll say she looks as clear as morning roses newly washed with dew.
Love is the most beautiful dream and the worst nightmare. – Love is the most beautiful of dreams and the worst of nightmares.
I was born under stars that danced. – There was a star danced, and under that was I born.
Now join your hands, and with them your hearts. – Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts.
In the face I see honor, truth and loyalty. – In your face I see honor, truth and loyalty.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the heart; That is why the winged Cupid is depicted as blind. (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Elena)
A friend is a person who knows who you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you will become, and still hasn't killed you. – A friend is one who knows who you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow.
Therefore, dear, I love him as he is, I will overcome all deaths. But without him, life is not life. – So dear I love him that with him, all deaths I could endure. Without him, live no life.
Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.
It is more dangerous and harmful to hide love than to announce it. (Hamlet, Polonius)
She looks like a pure morning rose, washed with dew.
And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.
My heart is always at your service. – My heart is ever at your service.
Is it not the eternal mockery of love that a woman cannot love the one who loves her?
Love runs away from those who chase it, and throws itself on the neck of those who run away. (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Ford)
Love is not love
If she changes, having discovered the changes,
Oh no! She is an eternal sign
Which looks like a storm, but never shakes.
This is a star for a wandering bark,
Whose value is unknown, although whose height is achievable.
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or Bends with the remover to remove.
Oh no! It is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wandering bark,
whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Meaningful love is good, but unconscious love is better. – Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.
Love is the smoke that rises with the power of sighs,
Purified fire sparkling in the eyes of lovers,
An angry ocean, filled with their tears.
But what else? The most prudent madness
Successfully preserved sweetness.
Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs,
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes,
Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers’ tears.
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall and a preserving sweet.
Your beautiful face -
A world of earthly blessings for my soul,
Since the language of love unites our thoughts.
For thou hast given me in this beautiful face
A world of earthly blessings to my soul,
If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.
Doubt that the stars are burning;
Doubt that the sun moves in a circle;
Doubt the truth, which may turn out to be a lie;
But never doubt that I love.
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a lie;
But never doubt I love.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
That is why the winged Cupid is blind.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
They love because love is for two,
At least its essence is the same;
Two different, but without division.
So they lov’d as love in twain
Had the essence but in one;
Two distinct, divisions none.
One half of me is yours, the other half of me is
My own; but if what's mine is yours,
Then I'm all yours!
One half of me is yours, the other half yours-
Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,
And so all yours!
This is my love - I belong to you,
Therefore, I will endure anything.
Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
That for your right myself will bear all wrong.
For me, my dear friend, you will never grow old.
'Cause I always look into your eyes
And in them I still see your beauty.
To me, fair friend, you can never be old.
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still.
Can you be compared to a summer day?
Your charm is more beautiful and sweeter:
Rough winds shake the precious buds of May,
AND summer days the century is not long at all.
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.
Like a daylight lamp; her eyes are in heaven
Penetrate through the spheres so brightly
That the birds will sing at night as if during the day.
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
“To be, or not to be: that is the question...” (“To be or not to be - that is the question”) - one of the most famous expressions in world literature. So famous that, probably, even those who have not read the tragedy “Hamlet” by W. Shakespeare know this quote and use it in speech. Let us also touch upon the pearl of English literature - the dramaturgy of William Shakespeare.
Quotes from William Shakespeare's plays
Almost all of Shakespeare's plays can be analyzed into quotes that are still relevant today. Let us recall some of the famous Shakespearean expressions that have firmly entered the Russian language.
"Brevity is the soul of wit" ("Hamlet") - famous quote from Hamlet with literal translation "Brevity is the soul of the mind". It was Shakespeare who first expressed this idea in his play on behalf of Lord Polonius. And later A.P. Chekhov will write in a letter to his brother Alexander “Brevity is the sister of talent”. This quote has become very popular, and in Russian literature it is Chekhov’s name that is associated with one of the most famous sayings about brevity. But you and I remember Shakespeare's expression “Brevity is the soul of wit”, which is the original source.
“Frailty, your name is woman!” ("Hamlet")-Oh women, your name is treachery! This line was spoken by Hamlet when he was angry with his mother Gertrude for marrying Claudius immediately after his father's death. Thus, in his own words, Hamlet attributes the weakness and moral instability of one woman to all women in general. Frailty [ˈfreɪl.ti] - fragility, weakness.
“Love is blind”- “Love is blind”. This expression was first used by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales (around 1405). But the phrase did not become widely known then and did not appear in print again until Shakespeare used it in several of his plays, including The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V and The Merchant of Venice. So, thanks to Shakespeare, the expression "Love is blind" has become very popular and frequently used.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in it” ("Hamlet" ) — « Even though it's crazy, there's consistency in it.". And these words are spoken by Polonius in response to the insane, incomprehensible speech of Prince Hamlet. In modern English this phrase is used as an idiom “There’s a method in my (or somebody’s) madness”, which means that if someone is acting strange (crazy), there is a reason for it.
Shakespearean idioms
It's Greek to me - means that you don’t know or don’t understand something, it’s like a stranger to you foreign language. Russian equivalent - “This is a Chinese letter for me”. The phrase originally appeared in Latin, "Graecum est, non legitur" ("This is Greek, it cannot be read"). The fact is that in the Middle Ages, scribes in monasteries marked with this phrase those parts of the Greek text that they could not translate. IN English language this phrase came into use thanks to Shakespeare and his tragedy “Julius Caesar” (1599) - "It was Greek to me" . This expression was also used by the English playwright Thomas Decker.
“I will wear my heart upon my sleeve” (“Othello”)
- and these are lines from Shakespeare's Othello. To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve means not to hide, not to hold back emotions, literally “to wear your heart on your sleeve.” The origin of this idiom is associated with an interesting medieval custom. During knightly tournaments, knights, as a sign of their devotion, tied a ribbon on their hands, which was given to them by their lady of the heart. Thus, the knights openly told everyone about their affection. Recorded in writing this expression in this sense it is Shakespeare in his Othello.
"The world is my oyster" ("The Merry Wives of Windsor") is a very unusual phrase that means “There are many different opportunities in the world,” and in order to achieve something in life, you need to grab every opportunity. An oyster with a pearl inside symbolizes wealth and prosperity. This idiom first appeared in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sir Falstaff refuses to lend money to Pistol, who responds by saying famous phrase “Why, then, the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open”.
"In a pickle" ("The Tempest") is a very original idiom, which is often associated with the name of William Shakespeare, since he was one of the first to use this expression in his play “The Tempest.” In modern English be in a pickle means “to be in trouble, in a difficult situation.” In a pickle(literally “in brine, in marinade”) - means “in a trouble (in trouble).” If we go back further, we find that the word "pickle" comes from the Dutch word "pekel" - pickle (spicy, salty vinegar, which was used to pickle vegetables). Most likely the value in a pickle“in trouble” came from there: to be difficult situation, like vegetables that have fallen into a brine, mixed up and completely disoriented. But it is also obvious that in Shakespeare this expression means “to be in a state of intoxication, that is, to be in a deplorable state” (pickled - pickled, salty, drunk). This can be seen from the context in which this phrase is used:
Alonso: How came thou in this pickle? (in modern English “How did you get so drunk?”)
Trinculo: I have been in such a pickle, since I saw you last, …
Note that the idioms given above are very original. At the same time, they are widely used in modern English. I hope that you will begin to use them in your speech, not forgetting who we owe these wonderful expressions to.
These are excerpts from his literary works, poetic or prose. Considering that the playwright did not leave behind lengthy memoirs, autobiographies and letters, this is the only source of his thoughts.
For his time, Mr. Shakespeare was a true literary revolutionary. His plays reflected the ideas of the Renaissance and romanticism, ancient traditions, detailed description mores of society and motives of actions.
Sayings about love
The tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" is one of the most famous works in the world, part school curriculum many countries, a popular subject for film adaptations. Almost all of the playwright's plays are permeated with the theme of love passions. Among the most famous quotes William Shakespeare is worth highlighting the following:
- "Love is weaker than the fear of death."
- "Love and reason rarely live in harmony."
- “Love is blind” (a popular variation is “Love is blind and feeble-minded”).
- "The stronger the passion, the sadder the end."
- “Love runs away from those who chase it. And it throws itself on the neck of those who run away.”
- “Words of love grow numb when separated.”
- "Love cannot be stopped by stone walls."
Statements about love (especially unhappy or unrequited love) were at the peak of popularity in the 19th century, when strict morals forced people to use allegories, and love correspondence sometimes resembled a code.
Aphorisms about life, feelings and death
The playwright is a master of “turning out” human nature, showing the innermost, exaggerating emotions, showing ugly manifestations of feelings. Many of William Shakespeare's quotes about life have become a kind of motto or motivation. The saying is especially widely known: “Do what you must, and let what will be be.”
- "Follow the voice of reason, not anger."
- "Pleasant work cures grief."
- "Fear is the lowest of feelings."
- "Youth often sins in haste."
- "People are the masters of their own destiny."
- “To catch happiness, you need to learn to run fast.”
Shakespeare, being the creator of cult plays and the ruler of thoughts, was able to talk about death in beautiful words. His dramas dealt with the end of life without causing viewers and readers to feel an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. The most famous aphorism on this topic sounds like this: “If the sickle of death is inexorable, leave it to posterity - let them argue with it!”
One cannot ignore William Shakespeare's thoughts and quotes about human nature:
- “Power is dangerous when conscience is at odds with it.”
- "Tears are a woman's weapon."
- "Arrogance is a fragile material."
- "Virtue does not escape the scratches of slander."
and religion
William Shakespeare's quotes, known to a wide circle of people, contain almost no mention of God, faith and religion. However, the playwright was distinguished by decent religiosity for the 16th century. In his works, characters cry out to God, their actions are imbued with spirituality. Shakespeare also dedicated some of his sonnets to religion. And not only Christian, but also ancient (sonnet No. 153 “God Cupid”). Among the most famous sayings:
- "Ignorance is the curse of God. Knowledge is the wings that carry us to heaven."
- "The devil is able to quote Scripture for his own purposes."
- 2 Before God had time to create a dozen women, the devils had already seduced their heels.”
Shakespeare's idioms and translation features
In his works, the playwright often uses idioms - phrases whose meaning is understandable only to native speakers. So, when translating some works, it is necessary to use expressions that are similar in meaning or even remove idioms from the text.
It was Greek to me (tragedy “Julius Caesar”, 1599) - can be translated as “you can’t understand something because it sounds like a foreign language.” The closest in meaning is “Chinese letter”.
In a pickle (the play “The Storm”) is completely impossible to translate into Russian, because its meaning is to describe the state: “To be in a situation where you feel like a vegetable placed in a marinade, wrinkled and salted.”
Compared to Russian, the playwright’s native language is too static, and therefore William Shakespeare’s English translations sound different. It all depends on the translator and the context. But regardless of the place of words in the statement, their meaning remains the same.
