38 Famous Quotes by William Shakespeare about Love!

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He was an English playwright, poet, and actor. His most famous plays (32 in total!) are "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" (1595-1596), "Othello" (1602-1604), "King Lear" (1603-1606), and "Macbeth" (1603-1606).

A short quote can mean a lot, especially from such a genius mind like William Shakespeare! Thanks to his intelligence, his notorious wit and his ability to observe the human passions and the morals of society, many of his thoughts, phrases and aphorisms are not only brilliant and beautiful but also profound and inspiring. They make us think and reflect on our own condition. What did Shakespeare say about love and life, love and marriage, love and friendship? What are the best quotes, the most inspirational and meaningful sayings by William Shakespeare on love?

Here is our list of the 32 most famous quotes by William Shakespeare on love and life.

Speak low if you speak love.

Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing – Act 2, Scene 1)

If music be the food of love, play on.

Shakespeare (Twelfth Night – Act 1, Scene 1)

Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt thy love.

Shakespeare (Hamlet)

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain, but lust’s effect is tempest after sun.

Shakespeare (Venus and Adonis)

When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine. That all the world will be in love with night.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

Is love a tender thing? it is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

Love, love madly, love more than you can and if they say that it's sin, love your sin and you'll be innocent.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Love me or hate me, both are in my favour. If you love me, I'll always be in your heart... If you hate me, I'll always be in your mind.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness, and in the taste confounds the appetite. Therefore love moderately; long love doth so.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

If thou remember'st not the slightest folly that ever love did make thee run into, thou hast not lov'd.

Shakespeare (As You Like It)

If love is blind, It best matches the night.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

With love’s light wings did I o'erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

The course of true love never did run smooth.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Love is not love which alters it when alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O 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. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out, even to the edge of doom.

Shakespeare (Sonnet 116)

Young men’s love lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

Love like a shadow flies when substance love pursues, pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.

Shakespeare (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service.

Shakespeare (The Tempest)

Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?

Shakespeare (As You Like It)

And ruin’d love, when it is built anew, Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater.

Shakespeare (Sonnet 119)

Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

This is the monstrosity in love, lady, that the will is infinite and the execution confined.

Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida)

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

Shakespeare (All's Well That Ends Well)

This is the very ecstasy of love.

Shakespeare (Hamlet)

There is more peril in your eye than in twenty of their swords. Do you but look kind upon me, lady, and I am proof against their enmity.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

For to be wise and love exceeds man’s might.

Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida)

But who are you, that advancing in the dark of night, stumble in my most secret thoughts?

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss.

Shakespeare (Henry VI, Part I, Act I, scene 1.)

My love’s more richer than my tongue.

Shakespeare (King Lear)

Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?

Shakespeare (Macbeth)

But love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit.

Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)

Beware of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on.

Shakespeare (Othello)

One half of me is yours, the other half yours. Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours. And so all yours!

Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)

I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing)

Love is the wisest of madness, able to suppress bitterness, sweetness able to heal.

Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Thus with a kiss I die.

Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)