Lear

  • "Know that we have divided in three our Kingdom and tis our fast intention to shake all cares and business from our age conferring them on younger strengths"
  • "Nothing will come of nothing"
  • "Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and its wrath...out of my sight"
  • "Where is my fool?"
  • "You unnatural hags, I will have revenges on you both"
  • "But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; Or rather a disease that's in my flesh, which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil, a plague-sore, or embosed carbunkle, in my corrupted blood"
  • "I am a man more sinned against than sinning"
  • "I am a very foolish, fond old man...I fear I am not in my perfect mind"
  • "They flattered me like a dog, and told me I had the white hairs on my beard ere the black ones were there. To say 'ay' and 'no' to everything that I said 'ay' and no to was no good divinity"
  • "If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters have, as I do remember, done me wrong: You have some cause, they have not"
  • "We two alone will sing like birds i'th'cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, and ask of thee forgiveness"
  • "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"

Kent
  • "Let me remain the true blank of thine eye"
  • "Fortune, good-night! Smile once more; turn thy wheel"
  • "Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass! He hates him that would upon the rack of this tough world stretch him out longer"

Cordelia
  • "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love thee according to my bond"
  • "Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides...well may you prosper"

The Fool
  • "Thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown when thou gavest the golden one away"
  • "Then they for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung, That such a King should play bo-peep And go the fools among"
  • "Thou gavest them the rod, and put'st down thine own breeches"
  • "Now thou art an O without a figure: I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou art nothing"
  • "they'll have me whipped for speaking true, thou'lt have me whipped for lying; and sometimes I am whipped for holding my peace
  • "I can tell why a snail has a house to put its head in; not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case"
  • "It a man's brains were in's heels, were't not in danger of kibes?...thy wits shall not go slipshod"
  • "For you know, nuncle, the hedy sparrow fed the cuckoo so long that it had its head bit off by its young"
  • "Thou shouldst have been old till thou hadst been wise"
  • "And I'll go to bed at noon"

Gloucester
  • "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport"
  • "I stumbled when I saw"

Edgar
  • "Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say"