That Shakespeare was a braggart, a drunkard, a carouser, a knave, a rascal, a bad-tempered, foul-mouthed finical rogue, seems to me most probable. That Shakespeare was also a blazing genius, is undeniable. I like him much.
For me, these quotes are life rules:
- ‘What to ourselves in passion we propose, the passion ending, doth the purpose lose.’ (Hamlet)
- ‘He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen, let him not know it and he’s not robbed at all.’ (Othello)
- ‘I do profess to be no less than I seem, to serve him truly that will put me in trust, to love him that is honest, to converse with him that is wise and says little, to fear judgement, to fight when I cannot choose, and to eat no fish.’ (King Lear)
- ”The worst is not so long as we can say ‘This is the worst.’’ (King Lear)
- ‘Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.’ (Romeo and Juliet)
- ‘Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.’ (Romeo and Juliet)
- ‘I will be flesh and blood, for there was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently.’ (Much Ado About Nothing)
- ‘Every one can master a grief, but he that has it.’ (Much Ado About Nothing)
- ‘Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.’ (Much Ado About Nothing)
I take my hat off to the Bard, the King of Poets, and of taverns!
What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
boy with a hat 
My favourite play is The Merchant of Venice; it was the first Shakespeare work I studied at school and I think the first I saw performed live. It’s got some really meaty female characters and a lot of the themes explored are still very relevant. It’s just a great play.
I like the Merchant of Venice too. Shylock is a wonderful character.
“first thing we do, is kill all the lawyers” – Henry VI, Act 4 scene 2. Pretty damn wise.
Taming of the shrew.
Much Ado About Nothing. I love the silliness and how everything falls apart for no good reason. I wish it were required reading for life. Maybe then people would realize that they really don’t need petty, made up dramas.
‘I was not born under a rhyming planet.’
Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite comedy.
Romeo and Juliet I could read again and again, always finding new things. Tybalt is such an excellent “bad guy” and everything he says drips with malice.
Did you like Mercutio?
I started to write about my fondness for Mercutio, his sheer genius and wit and… and… I ran out of space.