SHAKEAPEARE’S THREE QUOTES ON LIFE

 

 SHAKEAPEARE’S THREE QUOTES ON LIFE

            The three quotes on life which are given below are taken from the plays of the English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (23 April 1564---23 April 1616).

            All of them are extraordinary in world literature and are therefore usefully memorable.

            To define life is not easy. It requires God Himself to sum it up in a few words.

            Every person’s life is a unique tale.  It is a meaningful biography which deals with some personalized events.

*Look at the first quote.  It is a most famous soliloquy from the play Macbeth spoken by Macbeth the hero of the play upon learning of his wife’s death. 

            As a critic says: it reflects Macbeth’s profound nihilism,  conveying the realization that life is entirely meaningless and ultimately devoid of purpose.

            Here is the first full quote:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps on this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

** The second quote which follows is taken from the play All’s Well That Ends Well.

            The web of our life is full of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair if they were not cherished by our virtues

***The third quote which follows is from the play King John.

 

There’s nothing in this world can make me joy:

Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale

Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man;

And bitter shame hath spoil’d  the sweet world’s taste,

That it yields nought but shame and bitterness.

                                                *****

G.R.Kanwal

28 May 2026