William Shakespeare Quotes About Idleness

• I rather would entreat thy company; To see the wonders of the world abroad, Than, living dully sluggardized at home, Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.

  William Shakespeare

  Home, Sloth, World

  William Shakespeare (1873). “Shakespeare's Comedy of The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, p.3

• And to the English court assemble now, From every region, apes of idleness!

  William Shakespeare

  Sloth, Apes, Court

  William Shakespeare (2016). “King Henry IV Part 2: Third Series”, p.378, Bloomsbury Publishing

• Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

  William Shakespeare

  Flower, Purple, White

  'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595-6) act 2, sc. 1, l. 161

• Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up tine, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills.

  William Shakespeare

  Weed, Lying, Garden

  William Shakespeare, Gayle Holste (2002). “Othello”, p.68, Barron's Educational Series

• The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover, Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank, Conceives by idleness, and nothing teems But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burrs, Losing both beauty and utility.

  William Shakespeare

  Weed, Green, Docks

  'Henry V' (1599) act 5, sc. 2, l. 44

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