William Shakespeare
Traced to source
7 quotes we’ve traced to William Shakespeare
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none”
Verified“The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief”
Verified“Bubble bubble, toil and trouble”
Disputed“Gilding the lily”
Disputed“Lead on, Macduff”
Disputed“Methinks the lady doth protest too much”
Disputed“We are twice armed if we fight with faith”
DisputedNot actually William Shakespeare
Often misattributed to William Shakespeare
Famous lines widely pinned on William Shakespeare that we’ve traced to someone else.
“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give”
actually William Arthur Ward
“Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor”
actually Unknown (anonymous internet author)
“He who has injured thee was either stronger or weaker than thee. If weaker, spare him; if stronger, spare thyself”
actually Seneca the Younger
“Nothing is more common than the wish to be remarkable”
actually Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”
actually David Viscott
“There is plenty of time to sleep in the grave”
actually Benjamin Franklin
“Time is very slow for those who wait, very fast for those who are scared, very long for those who lament, very short for those who celebrate, but for those who love, time is eternal”
actually Henry van Dyke
“When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry”
actually Yiddish (Jewish) folk proverb
“When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew”
actually Arrigo Boito
On the research bench
Commonly pinned on William Shakespeare — under review
7 lines flagged as pinned on William Shakespeare and queued for a full source trace — not yet verified.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
Queued
“Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well”
Queued
“Discretion is the better part of valour”
Queued
“Gild the lily”
Queued
“Now is the winter of our discontent”
Queued
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
Queued
“Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”
Queued
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Thought William Shakespeare said something else?
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