William Shakespeare Quotes About Church

• If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching.

  William Shakespeare

  Teaching, Men, Church

  'The Merchant of Venice' (1596-8) act 1, sc. 2, l. [13]

• For night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, And yonder shines Aurora's harbinger; At whose approach ghosts wandring here and there Troop home to church-yards.... For fear lest day should look their shames upon, They willfully exile themselves from light, And must for aye consort with black brow'd night.

  William Shakespeare

  Home, Cutting, Night

  William Shakespeare (1768). “The Works of Shakespear, from Mr. Pope's Edition”, p.122

• But whate'er you are That in this desert inaccessible, Under the shade of melancholy boughs, Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time; If you have ever looked on better days, If ever been where bells knoll'd to church, If ever sat at any good man's feast, If ever from your eyelids wiped a tear, And know what 'tis to pity and be pitied, Let gentleness my strong enforcement be. . . .

  William Shakespeare

  Time, Strong, Men

  William Shakespeare, Thomas Bowdler (1861). “The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: Adapted for Family Reading”, p.185

• He took the bride about the neck and kissed her lips with such a clamorous smack that at the parting all the church did echo.

  William Shakespeare

  Funny, Kissing, Echoes

  1593 Gremio, of Petruccio.TheTaming of the Shrew, act 3, sc.3, l.50-2.

• If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottage princes' palaces.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Venice, Church

  'The Merchant of Venice' (1596-8) act 1, sc. 2, l. [13]

• Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

  William Shakespeare

  Hurt, Men, Doors

  'Romeo And Juliet' (1595) act 3, sc. 1, l. [100]

• The why is plain as way to parish church:
  He that a fool doth very wisely hit
  Doth very foolishly, although he smart,
  Not to seem senseless of the bob; if not,
  The wise man's folly is anatomiz'd
  Even by the squand'ring glances of the fool.

  William Shakespeare

  Wise, Smart, Men

  William Shakespeare, Samuel Weller Singer, William Watkiss Lloyd, John Thompson, Thomas Stothard (1856). “As you like it. Taming of the shrew. All's well that ends well. Twelfth night”, p.42

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