William Shakespeare. The man. The myth. The legend. I don’t think there will ever be a bigger writer than him. From the way he crafted characters to his intriguing plots and brilliant worldbuilding, he is still the most talked about literary figure. Name any emotion known to mankind, and you’ll find it in his plays and sonnets. Jealousy. Love. Lust. Heartbreak. Ambition. He captured every corner of the human heart.
Among all his themes, love shines the brightest. It’s that one emotion that all of us find relatable. From Romeo and Juliet’s passion to Desdemona’s loyalty, Shakespeare’s love quotes are timeless, heartwarming, and unforgettable. Let’s take a look at some of the best quotes from Shakespeare about love that define what it feels like to love and be loved.
- “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- “If music be the food of love, play on.” — Twelfth Night
- “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” — Sonnet 18
- “Hear my soul speak: The very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service.” — The Tempest
- “You have witchcraft in your lips, there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French council; and they should sooner persuade Harry of England than a general petition of monarchs.” — Henry V
- “The course of true love never did run smooth.” — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “They do not love that do not show their love.” — The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- “Love is too young to know what conscience is.” — Sonnet 151
- “Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.” — Venus and Adonis
- “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” — Sonnet 18
- “When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.” — (Attributed to Romeo and Juliet, though paraphrased)
- “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.” — Sonnet 116
- “Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love.” — Hamlet
- “These violent delights have violent ends.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “My only love sprung from my only hate!” — Romeo and Juliet
- “Thus with a kiss I die.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “The course of true love never did run smooth.” — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “They do not love that do not show their love.” — The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- “When love begins to sicken and decay, it useth an enforced ceremony.” — Julius Caesar
- “Love is merely a madness.” — As You Like It
- “Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.” — As You Like It
- “Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.” — Venus and Adonis
- “One half of me is yours, the other half yours — mine own, I would say.” — The Merchant of Venice
- “I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say ‘I love you.’” — Henry V
- “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.” — Othello
- “I do love nothing in the world so well as you — is not that strange?” — Much Ado About Nothing
- “Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?” — As You Like It
- “Hear my soul speak: The very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service.” — The Tempest
- “I would not wish any companion in the world but you.” — The Tempest
- “Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” — Twelfth Night
- “I do adore thee so, that danger shall seem sport, and I will go.” — Twelfth Night
- “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.” — Sonnet 116
- “The sight of lovers feedeth those in love.” — As You Like It
- “To be wise and love exceeds man’s might.” — Troilus and Cressida
- “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” — Sonnet 18
- “Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “I am undone; there is no living, none, if Bertram be away.” — All’s Well That Ends Well
- “How like a winter hath my absence been from thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!” — Sonnet 97
- “When you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave.” — Much Ado About Nothing
- “Love is a spirit all compact of fire.” — Venus and Adonis
- “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince.” — Hamlet
- “The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.” — Romeo and Juliet
- “And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.” — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- “For where thou art, there is the world itself.” — Henry VI, Part 2
- “O mistress mine, where are you roaming? O, stay and hear; your true love’s coming.” — Twelfth Night
- “There’s beggary in the love that can be reckoned.” — Antony and Cleopatra
Centuries have passed since The Bars has written these words. Yet, the way he understood, felt, and penned them makes it powerful as ever. Some of the Shakespeare love quotes were exchanged between star-crossed lovers, whereas some were said from a deep ache of yearning. These love quotes of Shakespeare remind us that love finds us no matter what. And perhaps that’s why his verses continue to move us. Because somewhere within them, we find a reflection of our own hearts.
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