The prolific playwright had a lot to say about love, as you will see with these Shakespeare love quotes from some of his most notable plays.

While “love is blind” may have originated from Chaucer’s Merchant’s Tale, it gained popularity as a Shakespeare quote. It was one of his favorite lines and appeared in Two Gentleman of Verona, Henry V, and The Merchant of Venice.

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is wing’d cupid painted blind,” from A Midsummer’s Night Dream is one of my favorite renditions of this line!

Antony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s memorable romances, but the play has also been called a history play (though historical accounts were not strictly adhered to), a tragedy, a comedy, and a problem play.

It wouldn’t be an article about Shakespeare’s love quotes without some words from Romeo and Juliet or Petruchio and Katherine from The Taming of the Shrew. (Check out these quotes from Patrick and Katherine in 10 Things I Hate About You!)

Enjoy these Shakespeare love quotes from your favorite play and keep reading to learn more about his own love story!

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Antony & Cleopatra

1. “If it be love indeed, tell me how much.” — Cleopatra

2. “The heart of brothers govern in our loves.” — Antony

3. “Sir, you and I have loved, but there’s not it.” — Cleopatra

4. “There’s beggary in love that can be reckoned.” — Antony

5. “My heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings.” — Antony

6. “In praising Antony, I have dispraised Caesar.” — Cleopatra

7. “Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?” — Cleopatra

8. “The armourer of my heart. False, false. This, this!” — Antony

9. “The stroke of death is as a lovers pinch, which hurts and is desired.” — Cleopatra

10. “I made these wars for Egypt, and the Queen, whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine.” — Antony

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Romeo & Juliet

11. “Under loves heavy burden do I sink.” — Romeo

12. “Out of her favour, where I am in love.” — Romeo

13. “Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs” — Romeo

14. “Did my heart love till now… For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” — Romeo

15. “Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” — Juliet

16. “But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.” — Juliet

17. “This bud of love by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.” — Juliet

18. “Come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy, That one short minute gives me in her sight” — Romeo

19. “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

20. “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.” — Juliet

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Orsino and Viola

21. “I’ll do my best to woo your lady.” — Viola

22. “If music be the food of love, play on.” — Orsino

23. “Most radiant, exquisite, and unmatchable beauty.” — Viola

24. “Then let thy love be younger than thyself, Or thy affection cannot hold the bent.” — Orsino

25. “Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness.” — Viola

26. “O, then unfold the passion of my love, surprise her with discourse of my dear faith.”— Orsino

27. “To thee the book even of my secret soul. Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her.” — Orsino

28. “Why should I not, had I the heart to do it, like to th’ Egyptian thief at point of death, kill what I love?” — Orsino

29. “Love make his heart of flint that you shall love, and let your fervor, like my master’s, be placed in contempt.” — Viola

30. “By innocence I swear, and by my youth, I have one heart, one bosom and one truth, and that no woman has, nor never none shall mistress be of it, save I alone.” — Viola

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Benedick and Beatrice

31. “But it is certain I am loved of all ladies.” — Benedick

32. “’Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?” — Benedick

33. “I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will.” — Benedick

34. “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” — Beatrice

35. “I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?” — Benedick

36. “You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.” — Beatrice

37. “I am gone, though I am here. There is no love in you. Nay, I pray you let me go.” — Beatrice

38. “I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.” — Benedick

39. “Alas, poor heart, if you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours, for I will never love that which my friend hates.” — Beatrice

40. “That I neither feel how she should be loved nor know how she should be worthy is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me.” — Benedick

Shakespeare Love Quotes from Petruchio and Katherine

41. “This is the way to kill a wife with kindness.” — Petruchio

42. “Why, there’s a wench! Come on, and kiss me, Kate.” — Petruchio

43. “Nay, now I see she is your treasure, she must have a husband.” — Katherine

44. “I’ll say she looks as clear as morning roses newly wash’d with dew.” — Petruchio

45. “She vied so fast, protesting oath after oath, that in a twink she won me to her love.” — Petruchio

46. “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.” — Katherine

47. “If she deny to wed, I’ll crave the day when I shall ask the banns and when be married.” — Petruchio

48. “I must dance barefoot on her wedding day and for your love to her lead apes in hell.” — Katherine

49. “One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife, as wealth is burden of my wooing dance, be she as foul as was Florentius’ love.” — Petruchio

50. “Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth but that our soft conditions and our hearts. Should well agree with our external parts?” — Katherine

Shakespeare’s own love story

There is not much that is known about Shakespeare’s personal love story. The facts are that he was married to Anne Hathaway in 1852. He was 18 and she was 26, and pregnant. They remained married until he died in 1616.

The couple got married quickly and their first child was born about six months later. A little less than two years later the couple had twins. However, Shakespeare lived apart from his wife and children for many years.

This had led to many questions about whether the man who wrote so passionately about love, loved his wife. There has also been speculation that the woman in his later sonnets is not his wife.

His earlier sonnets also speak about his love for a man, leading some to question his sexuality. With a lack of evidence and the fact that we are not sure that the sonnets are autobiographical, we may never know the love story of the famous poet.

Share some of your favorite Shakespeare love quotes and sayings with us in the comment section below.

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