Shakespeare Quotes

If you've been on Instagram, Pinterest, or the Internet in general, you've probably seen those lovely images with a quote on them being shared for inspiration or for laughs. I see these all the time (heck, I MAKE at least one every day), and I am FLOORED by how frequently people will share a quote attributed to Shakespeare that is, in fact, not his work at all! The following three examples are some of the top offenders that I see on Instagram on a daily basis.

Example #1

This is one that I almost can't believe people could mistake for Shakespeare. The list of "advice" doesn't have a logical progression, and if any character in Shakespeare's plays would have said something like this, it would probably be for comic effect. It's something that sounds like solid advice on the surface, but is cliche and/or nonsensical when you start to consider the meaning. If you truly didn't expect anything from anyone, you wouldn't expect to get paid by your boss, or for your waiter to bring you the item you ordered. It's nonsense, and Shakespeare didn't write it! He DID, however, write a speech of only-marginally-helpful advice in Hamlet, when Polonius is talking to Laertes:

This speech is also quoted often, but Shakespeare actually wrote it! The language is so much richer than the "You know why?" that we see in the imposter. And we can imagine how a young man like Laertes might be rolling his eyes while his father drones on and on about not taking out loans, wearing the right clothes, not starting fights but finishing them, and nurturing true friendships. SO much better than "before you hurt, feel"!

Example #2

While it seems fairly obvious that umbrellas have been around for thousands of years (and well before Shakespeare's time), the word "umbrella" doesn't appear in any of his writing. The phrase "you find a shadow spot" seems odd to me; why not a "shady spot" or even a "shadowed spot"? The phrase is awkward. Instead, how about quoting Sonnet 93?

This sonnet captures the idea that this person will always look sweet and loving, but it's impossible to tell whether their love is true or not! Their appearance doesn't show what they're thinking or feeling, and it worries the writer that they won't ever be entirely sure what's going on. It would suck to be in love with someone who leads you on all the time, and Shakespeare nails it in Sonnet 93.

Example #3

I'll admit that this is a sweet sentiment. I'm a sucker for "love at first sight" stories, too. But Shakespeare simply did not write this. He did, however, write this:

Rosalind says that in As You Like It. There's also this:

Ferdinand says that in The Tempest. Why bother making up fake Shakespeare quotes (or sharing them) when there are so many fantastic real Shakespeare quotes to choose from? I post a Shakespeare quote image every day on my Facebook page - follow me to be sure to start your day with the best of the Bard!

Bonus:

Did you think that was Shakespeare? It is, and it isn't. Marlowe wrote this line in Hero and Leander, and Shakespeare was actually quoting Marlowe when Phebe says the line in As You Like It! Hero and Leander came out a year before As You Like It.

 

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