William Shakespeare Quotes About Acting

• Strong reasons make strong actions.

  William Shakespeare

  Strong, Hard Work, Memorable

  William Shakespeare, James Boswell, Edmond Malone, Samuel Johnson, Alexander Pope (1821). “The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare: With the Corrections and Illustrations of Various Commentators”, p.231

• I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing And the first motion, all the interim is Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream: The Genius and the mortal instruments Are then in council; and the state of man, Like to a little kingdom, suffers then The nature of an insurrection.

  William Shakespeare

  Dream, Men, Suffering

  'Julius Caesar' (1599) act 2, sc. 1, l. 63

• Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you-trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, the whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness.

  William Shakespeare

  Passion, Player, Air

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 3, sc. 2, l. 1

• All the world's a stage, and all the men and women mearly players.

  William Shakespeare

  Friendship, Birthday, Men

  'As You Like It' (1599) act 2, sc. 7, l. 139

• Suit the action to the word : the word to the action : with this special observance that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature.

  William Shakespeare

  Special, Acting, Suits

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 3, sc. 2, l. [19]

• With this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature. for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature.

  William Shakespeare

  Mirrors, Special, Acting

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 3, sc. 2, l. [19]

• Oh! it offends me to the soul to hear a robust periwig-pated fellow, tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings.

  William Shakespeare

  Passion, Soul, Tears

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 3, sc. 2, l. 1

• All the world's a stage.

  William Shakespeare

  Inspirational, Motivational, Dance

  'As You Like It' (1599) act 2, sc. 7, l. 139

• The Play's the Thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.

  William Shakespeare

  Kings, Play, Acting

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 2, sc. 2, l. [641]

• What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her?

  William Shakespeare

  Acting, Hamlet And Ophelia, Hamlet Revenge

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 2, sc. 2, l. [584]

• Between the acting of a dreadful thing
  And the first motion, all the interim is
  Like a phantasma or a hideous dream.

  William Shakespeare

  Dream, Acting, Firsts

  'Julius Caesar' (1599) act 2, sc. 1, l. 63

• I can counterfeit the deep tragedian;
  Speak and look back, and pry on every side,
  Tremble and start, at wagging of a straw,
  Intending deep suspicion.

  William Shakespeare

  Acting, Looks, Sides

  William Shakespeare (2000). “The Tragedy of King Richard III”, p.260, Oxford University Press, USA

• Let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them.

  William Shakespeare

  Play, Acting, Speak

  1600-1 Hamlet to the players. Hamlet, act 3, sc.2, l.38-9.

• The king-becoming graces,
  As justice, verity, temp'rance, stableness,
  Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
  Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
  I have no relish of them, but abound
  In the division of each several crime,
  Acting in many ways.

  William Shakespeare

  Perseverance, Kings, Justice

  William Shakespeare (2002). “Macbeth”, p.186, Barron's Educational Series

• If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue.

  William Shakespeare

  Wine, Play, Acting

  'As You Like It' (1599) act 5, sc. 4, epilogue l. [3]

• Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts.

  William Shakespeare

  Imagination, Imperfection, Acting

  William Shakespeare (1998). “Henry V”, p.93, Oxford University Press, USA

• Like a dull actor now, I have forgot my part, and I am out, Even to a full disgrace.

  William Shakespeare

  Acting, Actors, Dull

  'Coriolanus' (1608) act 5, sc. 3, l. 40

• How strange or odd some'er I bear myself,
  As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
  To put an antic disposition on.

  William Shakespeare

  Thinking, Acting, Actors

  William Shakespeare (2011). “Hamlet”, p.67, Simon and Schuster

• The play's the thing.

  William Shakespeare

  Play, Acting

  'Hamlet' (1601) act 2, sc. 2, l. [641]

• A great while ago the world begun,
  With hey, ho, the wind and the rain;
  But that's all one, our play is done,
  And we'll strive to please you every day.

  William Shakespeare

  Book, Philosophical, Rain

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 5, sc. 1, l. [401]

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