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Shakespearean lines to use for dating, Valentine’s cards, & weddings
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William Shakespeare is pretty much the most famous writer and poet of all time…and one of the most romantic! Between his plays, poems, and sonnets, there’s a plethora of love quotes throughout Shakespeare’s work. In this article, we’ve collected our absolute favourite romantic Shakespearean quotes for you to peruse—send them to your (star-crossed) lover, write them in an anniversary card, recite them at a wedding…or use them any time Cupid strikes!

The Best Quotes by William Shakespeare About Love

  • “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”
  • “I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is not that strange?”
  • “I would not wish any companion in the world but you.”
  • “I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, ‘I love you.’”
  • “Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.”
  • “An angel is like you, and you are like an angel.”
Section 1 of 7:

Famous Shakespeare Love Quotes

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  1. 1
    Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

    – Sonnet 18.
    • The speaker is comparing their loved one to a “summer’s day,” which is usually thought of as beautiful and idyllic. However, they state that their love is “more lovely” and “more temperate,” reflecting on the consistent and enduring love of their sweetheart when compared to a fleeting summer. [1]
  2. 2
    Doubt thou the stars are fire,
    Doubt that the sun doth move,
    Doubt truth to be a liar,
    But never doubt I love.

    Hamlet . Act II, Scene V.
    • Hamlet writes these lines to Ophelia, in which he’s expressing his unwavering devotion and love and urging her never to feel unsure of his love for her. Even when all else is uncertain, she can be certain that he loves her. [2]
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  3. 3
    I do love nothing in the world so well as you – is not that strange?

    Much Ado About Nothing. Act IV, Scene I.
    • Benedick confesses his love for Beatrice in this line, stating that she is the person he loves above everyone and everything else in the world. He then questions himself with “is that not strange,” reflecting on his own surprise that he’s fallen in love (given his previous skepticism about romance). [3]
    • Overall, this love quote speaks to the transformative power of love and how it can change the perspective of those who feel it.
  4. 4
    If music be the food of love, play on.
    Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
    The appetite may sicken and so die.


    Twelfth Night . Act I, Scene I.
    • Duke Orsino opens Twelfth Night with this phrase, expressing frustration over the love he feels for someone who doesn’t love him back. He says that he wants to over-indulge in love (“give me excess”) to the point that it eventually becomes too much and eliminates his desire for love. Definitely not the most romantic of love quotes ! [4]
  5. 5
    Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

    All’s Well That Ends Well . Act I, Scene I.
    • This quote from the Countess is about platonic love, as she advises to share love, kindness, and compassion with everyone you meet, and to treat everyone with integrity and fairness. However, she also cautions to reserve your trust for only those who really deserve it.
  6. 6
    I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

    Much Ado About Nothing . Act IV, Scene I.
    • This romantic confession comes from Beatrice, who’s spent most of the play looking down on romantic love and living a perfectly fine life without it. However, she now admits that she’s fallen so deeply in love with Benedick that there’s no part of her left to deny it. [5]
  7. 7
    What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.

    Romeo and Juliet. Act II, Scene II.
    • In this famous line, Juliet questions the significance of names and why something so arbitrary should hold so much power and meaning. In the context of the play, she’s talking about Romeo’s surname (Montague), which essentially disallows the pair of them from being in love. With this quote, Juliet implies that one’s name doesn’t define who they are or who can love them. [6]
    • In a more universal sense, the quote suggests that a person’s identity or value shouldn’t be linked to superficial or arbitrary parts of who they are, including their name.
  8. 8
    See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek.

    Romeo and Juliet . Act II, Scene II.
    • Romeo speaks these lines about Juliet as he watches her on her balcony. Struck by her beauty, Romeo expresses his desire to be close to Juliet, going so far as to wish he could transform into the glove she’s wearing so that he might touch her cheek.
    • Generally, this quote evokes a tender and longing form of romantic love where two lovers want to be as close as physically possible.
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Section 2 of 7:

Shakespeare Love Quotes to Send to Your Partner

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  1. 1
    I would not wish any companion in the world but you .

    The Tempest . Act III, Scene I.
    • Ferdinand is here expressing his deep love for Miranda, saying that she is the only person in the world that he’d want as a partner and companion. This quote emphasizes commitment to a romantic partner and a belief that they are the best person for you and your life. [7]
  2. 2
    One half of me is yours, the other half yours—
    Mine own, I would say. But if mine, then yours,
    And so all yours.

    – The Merchant of Venice
    . Act II, Scene II.
    • In this quote, Portia reflects on the complexities of her romantic feelings, ultimately stating that she feels a sense of belonging to her significant other. Her words express her total devotion to him and her willingness to make sacrifices in order to give all of herself to him.
  3. 3
    For where thou art, there is the world itself,
    With every several pleasure in the world,
    And where thou art not, desolation.

    – Henry VI Part 2.
    Act III, Scene II.
    • This quote from Henry VI expresses the emotional power that our loved ones hold over us. It states that when a loved one is near, more happiness and joy are felt. When they’re gone, on the other hand, one only feels sadness and loneliness. [8]
  4. 4
    By the roses of spring,
    By maidhood, honor, truth, and everything,
    I love thee so.

    – Twelfth Night
    . Act III, Scene I.
    • This quote is a simple but beautiful declaration of love, ending with a simple “I love you.” However, it also alludes to “roses of spring,” which may symbolize the youthful, renewing, and fresh sense of love. By swearing on important values of the time like “maidhood, honor, and truth,” the speaker is promising the truth of their love.
  5. 5
    I’ll smother thee with kisses .

    – “Venus & Adonis.”
    • In Shakespeare’s poem, Venus speaks this line to Adonis, promising to essentially inundate him with kisses. The quote emphasizes the intensity of love to the point that one would have to “smother” someone in order to fully express their physical and emotional affection.
  6. 6
    On the touching of her lips I may
    Melt and no longer be seen. O, come, be buried
    A second time within these arms.

    – Pericles
    . Act V, Scene III.
    • These lines from Pericles express deep emotional vulnerability and longing for another. The speaker feels intense emotion after kissing their lover, to the point where they dissolve or lose themselves entirely. They also express a desire to be “buried” again in their lover’s embrace, emphasizing their want for physical intimacy. [9]
  7. 7
    I do love you more than words can wield the matter,
    Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty.

    King Lear.
    Act I, Scene I.
    • This quote isn’t actually about romantic love in Shakespeare’s play, but it can definitely be used that way. Rather, Goneril is professing her love for her father, making a number of hyperbolic statements to emphasize her devotion to him.
    • She specifically mentions fundamental necessities of life (e.g., eyesight, physical space, and freedom), further making it clear just how much she loves her father (although she is being insincere in the play—but the sentiment is still nice when taken out of context!).
  8. 8
    I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, “I love you.”

    – Henry V
    . Act V, Scene II. [10]
    • This line can be taken fairly literally as a direct and simple confession of love. For a poetic spin, the speaker says that there are “no ways to mince it,” meaning that there’s no better way to express such a deep feeling than to just say it clearly and directly.
  9. 9
    I kiss thee with a most constant heart.

    – Henry IV, Part 2
    . Act II, Scene II.
    • This quote is an admission of deep and constant affection. A “constant heart” implies that one’s source of love is unwavering and unchanging. So, the kiss symbolizes affection with this committed intent behind it.
  10. 10
    A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee.

    – All’s Well That Ends Well.
    Act IV, Scene II.
    • This romantic line likens one’s romantic success to finding a heaven on earth. In other words, it expresses that you’ve fallen in love and feel more joyous and blissful than ever. [11]
  11. 11
    Thee will I love, and with thee I lead my life.

    – The Comedy of Errors.
    Act III, Scene II.
    • This line is spoken by Antipholus of Syracuse, who is expressing a deep commitment to the object of his desires. He’s essentially saying that he’s devoted to loving this person and sharing his future with them.
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Section 3 of 7:

Shakespeare Quotes About the Concept of Love

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  1. 1
    Hot blood begets hot thoughts, and hot
    Thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love.

    – Troilus & Cressida.
    Act III, Scene I.
    • The speaker of the line is reflecting on the intense and passionate emotions and physical urges that often accompany love. Love will often lead to “hot thoughts,” or fervent ideas, as well as “hot deeds,” or impulsive actions driven by these passionate emotions. [12]
    • Despite the potential pitfalls of these deeds and thoughts, the speaker ultimately concludes that these sometimes irrational actions are what make up true love.
  2. 2
    A lover’s eyes will gaze an eagle blind.
    A lover’s ear will hear the lowest sound,
    When the suspicious head of theft is stopped.
    Love’s feeling is more soft and sensible
    Than are the tender horns of cockled snails
    ...
    And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods
    Make heaven drowsy with the harmony.

    – Love’s Labor’s Lost
    . Act IV, Scene III.
    • This passage evokes the overwhelming nature of love and the power that it wields. It notes how a lover’s gaze is more intense than an eagle’s, and their ears can hear anything when it comes to their beloved.
    • Love is also described as both delicate and powerful in this quote, being “soft and sensible” and “tender,” as well as being more all-encompassing and powerful than the voice of all gods.
  3. 3
    Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
    And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

    – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    , Act I, Scene I.
    • This quote insinuates that true love is not based on looks and physical appearance but more on an emotional and intellectual connection. Cupid is therefore irrelevant, according to the quote, since he usually makes people fall in love on sight. [13]
  4. 4
    Alas that love, whose view is muffled still,
    Should without eyes see pathways to his will.

    – Romeo and Juliet
    . Act I, Scene I.
    • In this line, Romeo is speaking about “love” as a masculine figure, likely Cupid. He states that, despite the fact that Cupid is always blindfolded and cannot see, he still finds a way to defy all odds and make people fall in love.
  5. 5
    Love comforteth like sunshine after rain .

    – “Venus and Adonis.”
    • This quote from the romantic poem “Venus and Adonis” is a sweet description of what love is. Put simply, love is a happy and joyful comfort (“sunshine”) that comes to brighten up a dark time (“rain”). [14]
  6. 6
    There’s beggary in the love that can be reckoned.

    Antony and Cleopatra . Act I, Scene I.
    • Antony says this line in the play’s opening scene. It’s commonly interpreted to mean that a love that can be fully understood and rationalized is not true love. Rather, real love is often difficult to understand and fully put into words.
  7. 7
    What is love? ‘Tis not hereafter: Present mirth hath present laughter.

    – Twelfth Night.
    Act II, Scene III.
    • This song, sung by Feste, speaks on the fleeting nature of romantic love. It states that love isn’t guaranteed to last into the future, so it should be seized and enjoyed in the present moment. [15]
  8. 8
    Love sought is good, but given sought is better.

    – Twelfth Night.
    Act III, Scene I.
    • This love quote reflects on the nature of love, specifically suggesting it’s good to desire, seek out, and ask for love. However, it’s even better to receive love that’s freely given than actively pursued. In a nutshell, genuine, generous, and unconditional love is more valuable than love that’s “won” through effort or pining.
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Section 4 of 7:

Shakespeare Quotes About the Challenges of Love

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  1. 1
    The course of true love never did run smooth.

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Act I, Scene I.
    • Lysander speaks this line to explain how love often (if not always) faces obstacles and challenges. Even true love will encounter difficulties, according to the quote, whether those conflicts arise from personal issues, external forces, or misunderstandings. [16]
  2. 2
    Love is a smoke rais’d with the fume of sighs;
    Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in a lover’s eyes;
    Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears:
    What is it else? a madness most discreet,
    A choking gall and a preserving sweet.

    Romeo and Juliet. Act I, Scene I.
    • In this passage from the famously romantic play, Romeo describes love’s complex and paradoxical nature. He implies that love can begin as something intangible and painful that then becomes passionate and intense. However, love can then become overwhelming and emotionally tumultuous when “vexed.” Ultimately, love is both a “sweet” and “choking” emotion.
  3. 3
    If thou remeb’rest not the slightest folly
    That ever love did make thee run into,
    Thou has not loved.


    As You Like It. Act II, Scene III.
    • This relatable love quote points to the idea that people in love often behave in foolish or impulsive ways. So, the speaker here is saying that if you’ve never done anything unreasonable or made a mistake for someone else, you’ve probably never been in love. [17]
  4. 4
    When you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave.

    Much Ado About Nothing . Act I, Scene I.
    • This line from Much Ado About Nothing express a deep absence of someone that you love. It essentially states that when this person leaves you, your happiness also leaves and you only feel sadness.
  5. 5
    Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad.

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Act III, Scene III.
    • The mischievous Puck comically describes Cupid with this quote, commenting on the god’s trickster-like tendencies. He implies that Cupid makes women fall in love in irrational ways, making them “mad” with emotion. [18]
  6. 6
    The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, which hurts and is desired.”

    – Antony and Cleopatra.
    Act V, Scene V.
    • Here, Cleopatra states that both death and love are painful and desirable experiences. Just like the intensity of love, the pain of death can be sought after because it ends feelings of suffering or longing.
  7. 7
    Men’s vows are women’s traitors .

    Cymbeline . Act III, Scene IV.
    • This cynical quote on love suggests that men’s promises of loyalty and love are often lies. It also suggests that women often feel cheated or betrayed once these promises are inevitably broken. [19]
  8. 8
    I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loved me.

    Much Ado About Nothing . Act I, Scene I.
    • Beatrice speaks this line at the opening of the play, expressing her character’s distrust of men and their declarations of love—which she perceives as false and deceitful. In stating that she’d rather listen to her dog barking at a crow, she’s emphasizing just how unappealing she finds men and their romantic confessions .
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Section 5 of 7:

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Sonnets

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  1. 1
    Love is not love
    Which alters when it alteration finds,
    Or bends with the remover to remove:
    O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
    That looks on tempests and is never shaken.

    Sonnet 116.
    • Shakespeare here defines true love as an unwavering and constant emotion. He argues the love shouldn’t change with changing circumstances. Rather, it should remain steadfast and generally unaffected by new challenges or difficulties. [20]
  2. 2
    Thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
    That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

    Sonnet 29.
    • In this excerpt from Sonnet 29, the speaker expresses how the memory of their lover’s affection brings them such joy that they feel richer than any king or noble person. [21]
  3. 3
    So are you to my thoughts as food to life ,
    Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the ground.

    Sonnet 75.
    • Here, the speaker is comparing their lover to life’s basic necessities (“food to life,” “showers to the ground”). Just like the earth and its beings are sustained by food and water, so is this person sustained by their lover’s presence. [22]
  4. 4
    This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong
    To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

    Sonnet 73. [23]
    • In this romantic but melancholy quote, the speaker reveals that they’re soon to be parted from their lover. However, they believe that this distance will strengthen their affection and make their emotional connection more intense and meaningful.
  5. 5
    And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
    As any she belied with false compare.

    Sonnet 130. [24]
    • The beginning of this sonnet tricks the listener by saying that their lover is nothing like the sun, or the snow, or a rose, or music. In these final lines, however, it’s revealed that the speaker sees their love as entirely unique and genuine—unable to be compared or likened to idealized or exaggerated standards and beauty. It doesn’t need embellishments to be beautiful and true!
  6. 6
    Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
    (Like to the lark at break of day arising
    From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate;

    Sonnet 29. [25]
    • These lines see a speaker comparing their mood to a bird rising at dawn and singing with joy after a dark time. Thinking about their lover helps to boost their spirits and bring them more joy, showcasing how love can turn sadness into happiness.
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Section 6 of 7:

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Romeo & Julie t

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  1. 1
    You kiss by th’ book.

    – Romeo and Juliet.
    Act I, Scene V.
    • Juliet playfully says this line to Romeo, suggesting that his kiss is very formal and stilted—perhaps meaning that it’s overly proper or has been overly practiced to make up for a lack of experience. This teasing remark is meant to be lighthearted, however, not rude or insulting.
  2. 2
    My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
    My love as deep. The more I give to thee,
    The more I have, for both are infinite.

    – Romeo and Juliet
    . Act II, Scene II.
    • In this line, Juliet expresses the limitless nature of her love for Romeo. She compares the depth of her feelings to the boundlessness of the sea, stating that her love only grows stronger the more that it’s experienced and shared. [26]
  3. 3
    Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs.

    – Romeo and Juliet.
    Act I, Scene I.
    • This quote from Romeo describes love as a fleeting feeling and circumstance. He believes, before meeting Juliet, that love is an elusive and insubstantial emotion that brings more sorrow and pain than anything else.
  4. 4
    Come what sorrow can,
    It cannot countervail the exchange of joy,
    That one short minute gives me in her sight’.

    Romeo and Juliet . Act II, Scene VI.
    • With this line, Romeo expresses how no hardship or sadness can outweigh the feelings of happiness he experiences in even a brief moment with Juliet. He believes that their time together is worth any suffering or sorrow.
  5. 5
    Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,
    Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof.

    Romeo and Juliet . Act I, Scene I.
    • In this scene, Benvolio reflects on how love, while outwardly gentle and beautiful, can be harsh and painful in reality. [27]
  6. 6
    This bud of love by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.

    – Romeo and Juliet.
    Act II, Scene I.
    • Juliet uses this line to compare her new (“budding”) love with Romeo to a flower that will grow and flourish with time. In a nutshell, she’s implying that love can become more beautiful, mature, and lasting as time goes on. [28]
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Section 7 of 7:

Shakespeare Pick-up Lines

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  1. 1
    Your bum is the greatest thing about you.

    – Measure for Measure
    . Act II, Scene I.
    • While the line serves as a crude and humorous compliment in the play, this quote can be used as a pick-up line in real life to compliment someone’s behind—but only if you know them well enough to know that it won’t offend them or creep them out. [29]
  2. 2
    Thou art wise as thou art beautiful.

    – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    . Act III, Scene I.
    • This compliment equates someone’s beauty with their intelligence, implying that they have both of these qualities in abundance.
  3. 3
    You have witchcraft in your lips .

    Henry V. Act V, Scene II.
    • This quote implies that someone is able to seduce or bewitch someone with just their words (or the physical appearance and feel of their lips). In dating, it’s a good line to pull out when you’re feeling enraptured by your S.O. [30]
  4. 4
    An angel is like you, and you are like an angel .

    Henry V. Act V, Scene II.
    • This complimentary line compares one’s beloved to an angel—aka, a heavenly, beautiful, and kind creature that’s perfect in every way. [31]
  5. 5
    So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape .

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Act III, Scene I.
    • Titania says this line when she becomes infatuated with the donkey at first sight. However, you can use this line with your boo in modern times since it suggests that you love their body or the way that they move.
  6. 6
    O beauty, till now I never knew thee.

    – Henry VII
    . Act I, Scene IV.
    • This sweet line is a declaration that, before seeing the person before you, you never knew what beauty truly looked like. Basically, you’re saying that they’re the most beautiful thing (or person) that you’ve ever seen. [32]
  7. 7
    Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Act III, Scene II.
    • This quote is a good one to use on any woman that you’d like to compliment, since it poetically compares her to a goddess or a nymph—both of which are known for their beauty and strength—before describing her with sweet adjectives like “perfect” and “divine.”
  8. 8
    Hear my soul speak:
    The very instant that I saw you, did
    My heart fly to your service; there resides,
    To make me slave to it

    – The Tempest
    . Act III, Scene I.
    • In The Tempest , this line is used to express a moment of love at first sight, suggesting that the person who’s fallen in love instantly dedicated their heart to another. They now feel that their heart belongs to their beloved and would do anything for them. [33]
  9. 9
    I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes.

    – Much Ado About Nothing
    . Act V, Scene II.
    • This love quote is a simple expression of lifelong devotion, expressing an all-consuming love where the besotted individual wants to live their whole life in their beloved’s heart before dying by their side and living on forever in their gaze.
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      15. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45108/sonnet-130-my-mistress-eyes-are-nothing-like-the-sun
      16. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45090/sonnet-29-when-in-disgrace-with-fortune-and-mens-eyes
      17. https://publictheater.org/contentassets/a775aad648fd482d9b7f8cc275917f9e/scripts/bns_week3_romeojulietscript.pdf
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      19. https://publictheater.org/contentassets/a775aad648fd482d9b7f8cc275917f9e/scripts/bns_week3_romeojulietscript.pdf
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      24. https://shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/tempest.3.1.html

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