William Shakespeare Quotes About Praise

• Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear

  William Shakespeare

  Memories, Memorable, Loss

  'All's Well that Ends Well' (1603-4) act 5, sc. 3, l. 19

• For we, which now behold these present days, Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.

  William Shakespeare

  Eye, Tongue, Wonder

  Sonnet 106

• There is not one wise man in twenty that will praise himself.

  William Shakespeare

  Life, Wise, Wisdom

• Yet nor the lays of birds nor the sweet smell Of different flowers in odour and in hue Could make me any summer's story tell, Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew; Nor did I wonder at the lily's white, Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose; They were but sweet, but figures of delight, Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.

  William Shakespeare

  Summer, Sweet, Flower

  William Shakespeare, William George CLARK, William Aldis Wright (1866). “The Globe Edition. The Works of William Shakespeare, Edited by W. G. Clark and W. Aldis Wright”, p.1040

• I praise God for you, sir: your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious; pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, audacious without impudency, learned without opinion, and strange with-out heresy.

  William Shakespeare

  Witty, Learning, Dinner

  William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson (1765). “The Plays of William Shakespeare in Eight Volumes: With the Corrections and Illustrations of Various Commentators; to which are Added Notes by Sam Johnson”, p.181

• Words, vows, gifts, tears, and love's full sacrifice, He offers in another's enterprise; But more in Troilus thousand-fold I see Than in the glass of Pandar's praise may be, Yet hold I off.

  William Shakespeare

  Sacrifice, Glasses, Tears

  William Shakespeare, Anthony B. Dawson (2003). “Troilus and Cressida”, p.94, Cambridge University Press

• O, how I faint when I of you do write, Knowing a better spirit doth use your name, And in the praise thereof spends all his might To make me tongue-tied speaking of your fame.

  William Shakespeare

  Writing, Names, Knowing

  William Shakespeare, Howard Staunton (1860). “The Plays of Shakespeare with the Poems”, p.772

• He was too good to be
  Where ill men were, and was the best of all
  Amongst the rar'st of good ones- sitting sadly
  Hearing us praise our loves of Italy
  For beauty that made barren the swell'd boast
  Of him that best could speak; for feature, laming
  The shrine of Venus or straight-pight Minerva,
  Postures beyond brief nature; for condition,
  A shop of all the qualities that man
  Loves woman for; besides that hook of wiving,
  Fairness which strikes the eye-
  CYMBELINE.

  William Shakespeare

  Eye, Men, Quality

  William Shakespeare (1824). “The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare”, p.678

• Take no repulse, whatever she doth say; For 'get you gone,' she doth not mean 'away.' Flatter and praise, commend, extol their graces; Though ne'er so black, say they have angels' faces

  William Shakespeare

  Mean, Angel, Grace

  William Shakespeare (2007). “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare”, p.200, Wordsworth Editions

• I will praise any man that will praise me.

  William Shakespeare

  Men, Flattery, Praise

  'Antony and Cleopatra' (1606-7) act 2, sc. 6, l. [88]

• Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise and too little for a great praise: only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her. (Benedick, from Much Ado About Nothing)

  William Shakespeare

  Littles, Like Her, Praise

  1598 Benedick, of Hero. Much Ado About Nothing, act1, sc.1, l.166-7.

• Praise us as we are tasted, allow us as we prove.

  William Shakespeare

  Praise, Prove

  William Shakespeare (2015). “Troilus and Cressida: Third Series, Revised Edition”, p.258, Bloomsbury Publishing

• Which can say more than this rich praise, that you alone are you?

  William Shakespeare

  Rich, Praise

  1609 Sonnets, sonnet 84.

• Let still woman take An elder than herself: so wears she to him, So sways she level in her husband's heart, For, boy, however we do praise ourselves, Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm, More longing, wavering, sooner to be lost and warn, Than women's are.

  William Shakespeare

  Husband, Heart, Boys

  'Twelfth Night' (1601) act 2, sc. 4, l. 29

• Oh, thou did'st then ne'er love so heartily. If thou rememb'rest not the slightest folly That ever love did make thee run inot, Thou has not loved. Of if thou has't not sat as I do now, Wearying they hearer in thy mistress's praise, Thou has not loved. Of if thou hast not broke from company Abruptly, as my passion now makes me, Thou has not loved. (Silvius)

  William Shakespeare

  Running, Passion, Mistress

• Oh, flatter me; for love delights in praises.

  William Shakespeare

  Delight, Flattery, Praise

  William Shakespeare (1833). “The plays and poems of William Shakspeare”, p.25

• One good deed dying tongueless Slaughters a thousand waiting upon that. Our praises are our wages.

  William Shakespeare

  Death, Waiting, Dying

  1609 Hermione. The Winter's Tale, act1, sc.2, l.94-5.

• Good things should be praised.

  William Shakespeare

  Praise, Good Things, Should

  William Shakespeare (1792). “The Shakspeare gallery; containing a select series of scenes and characters, accompanied by criticisms and remarks, on 50 (40) plates (designed by H. Singleton).”

• How many things by season seasoned are To their right praise and true perfection!

  William Shakespeare

  Perfection, Merchant Of Venice, Praise

  'The Merchant of Venice' (1596-8) act 5, sc. 1, l. 102

• The present eye praises the present object.

  William Shakespeare

  Eye, Praise, Objects

  William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, George Steevens (1813). “The Plays of William Shakespeare: In Twenty-one Volumes, with the Corrections and Illustrations of Various Commentators, to which are Added Notes”, p.371

• Whatever praises itself but in the deed, devours the deed in the praise.

  William Shakespeare

  Pride, Deeds, Vanity And Pride

  William Shakespeare, James Boswell, Edward Capell, Alexander Pope, George Steevens (1821). “The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare”, p.308

• That is not the best sermon which makes the hearers go away talking to one another and praising the speaker, but which makes them go away thoughtful and serious, and hastening to be alone.

  William Shakespeare

  Thoughtful, Talking, Going Away

• The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark When neither is attended; and I think The nightingale, if she should sing by day When every goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than the wren. How many thing by season seasoned are To their right praise and true perfection!

  William Shakespeare

  Thinking, Perfection, Crow

  'The Merchant of Venice' (1596-8) act 5, sc. 1, l. 102

• Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

  William Shakespeare

  Tragedy, Cassius, Ears

  Julius Caesar act 3, sc. 2, l. 74 (1599)

• Our praises are our wages.

  William Shakespeare

  Wages, Praise

  William Shakespeare (1866). “A Treasury of Thought from Shakespeare: the choice sayings of his principal characters analytically and alphabetically arranged”, p.290

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