# Happy 444th birthday, Shakespeare! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602 "2008-04-23T21:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/1 "2008-04-23T21:29:17Z")
Some four-full Shakespeare quotes for the occasion: > [@](#): > > Here’s another ballad of a fish, that appeared upon the coast on Wednesday the four-score of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids: it was thought she was a woman and was turned into a cold fish for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her: the ballad is very pitiful and as true. (Autolycus in _The Winter’s Tale_. Skeevy pick-up lines ‘r’ us.) > [@](#): > > We four indeed confronted were with four > In Russian habit: here they stay’d an hour, > And talk’d apace; and in that hour, my lord, > They did not bless us with one happy word. > I dare not call them fools; but this I think, > When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink. (And a fabulous response to skeevy pick-up lines, courtesy of Rosaline in _Love’s Labour’s Lost_.) > [@](#): > > Pray, do not mock me. > I am a very foolish fond old man, > Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; > And, to deal plainly, > I fear I am not in my perfect mind. > Methinks I should know you, and know this man; > Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant > What place this is; and all the skill I have > Remembers not these garments; nor I know not > Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me; > For (as I am a man) I think this lady > To be my child Cordelia. (_King Lear_, of course.) > [@](#): > > KING RICHARD II > Uncle, even in the glasses of thine eyes > I see thy grieved heart: thy sad aspect > Hath from the number of his banish’d years > Pluck’d four away. > > To HENRY BOLINGBROKE > > Six frozen winter spent, > Return with welcome home from banishment. > > HENRY BOLINGBROKE > How long a time lies in one little word! > Four lagging winters and four wanton springs > End in a word: such is the breath of kings. > > JOHN OF GAUNT > I thank my liege, that in regard of me > He shortens four years of my son’s exile: > But little vantage shall I reap thereby; > For, ere the six years that he hath to spend > Can change their moons and bring their times about > My oil-dried lamp and time-bewasted light > Shall be extinct with age and endless night; > My inch of taper will be burnt and done, > And blindfold death not let me see my son. > > KING RICHARD II > Why uncle, thou hast many years to live. > > JOHN OF GAUNT > But not a minute, king, that thou canst give: > Shorten my days thou canst with sullen sorrow, > And pluck nights from me, but not lend a morrow; > Thou canst help time to furrow me with age, > But stop no wrinkle in his pilgrimage; > Thy word is current with him for my death, > But dead, thy kingdom cannot buy my breath. What are your favorites? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/2 "2008-04-23T21:37:59Z")
> [@Iago](#): > > I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter > and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs! _Othello_ is my favorite Shakespeare play. I love me some drama. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/3 "2008-04-23T21:42:22Z")
Henry 6th, Part 2: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” As applicable today as it was then! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/4 "2008-04-23T21:46:59Z")
“Is this the end of zombie Shakespeare?” Or not really. > [@Prospero](#): > > You do look, my son, in a mov’d sort, > As if you were dismay’d: be cheerful, sir: > Our revels now are ended. These our actors, > As I foretold you, were all spirits and > Are melted into air, into thin air: > And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, > The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, > The solemn temples, the great globe itself, > Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve > And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, > Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff > As dreams are made on, and our little life > Is rounded with a sleep. > [@Prospero](#): > > Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves, > And ye that on the sands with printless foot > Do chase the ebbing Neptune and do fly him > When he comes back; you demi-puppets that > By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make, > Whereof the ewe not bites, and you whose pastime > Is to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice > To hear the solemn curfew; by whose aid, > Weak masters though ye be, I have bedimm’d > The noontide sun, call’d forth the mutinous winds, > And 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault > Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder > Have I given fire and rifted Jove’s stout oak > With his own bolt; the strong-based promontory > Have I made shake and by the spurs pluck’d up > The pine and cedar: graves at my command > Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let 'em forth > By my so potent art. But this rough magic > I here abjure, and, when I have required > Some heavenly music, which even now I do, > To work mine end upon their senses that > This airy charm is for, I’ll break my staff, > Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, > And deeper than did ever plummet sound > I’ll drown my book. > [@Macbeth](#): > > She should have died hereafter; > There would have been a time for such a word. > To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, > Creeps in this petty pace from day to day > To the last syllable of recorded time, > And all our yesterdays have lighted fools > The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! > Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player > That struts and frets his hour upon the stage > And then is heard no more: it is a tale > Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, > Signifying nothing. > [@King Lear](#): > > And my poor fool is hang’d! No, no, no life! > Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, > And thou no breath at all? Thou’lt come no more, > Never, never, never, never, never! > Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir. > Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips, > Look there, look there! ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/5 "2008-04-23T21:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=Puck] Lord, what fools these mortals be! [/QUOTE] I enjoy **silenus** ’s quote as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/6 "2008-04-23T21:51:07Z")
Okay, one more Tempest quote… > [@Ariel](#): > > All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come > To answer thy best pleasure; be’t to fly, > To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride > On the curl’d clouds. To thy strong bidding task > Ariel and all his quality. > […] > I boarded the King’s ship; now on the beak, > Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, > I flam’d amazement. Sometime I’d divide, > And burn in many places; on the topmast, > The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, > Then meet and join Jove’s lightning, the precursors > O’ th’ dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary > And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks > Of sulphurous roaring the most mighty Neptune > Seem to besiege, and make his bold waves tremble, > Yea, his dread trident shake. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-444th-birthday-shakespeare/446602/7 "2008-04-23T21:58:33Z")
Oh, how could I forget about _The Tempest_? My second favorite play. > [@Ariel](#): > > Those are pearls that were his eyes!