Shakespeare was very clever with words. A lot of lines from his plays are very famous. For example, "O! Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" which Juliet says when she is standing on her balcony. Everyone knows this line, and where it comes from. But there are lots of sayings in English which people use all the time without realizing that they come from Shakespeare.
All that glitters is not gold is a common saying. It means that some things are simply not as good as they seem to be at first. Shakespeare actually wrote
All that glisters is not gold (in
Merchant of Venice).
It stinks to high heaven.
People say this if something smells horrible. The expression began with Shakespeare, when Hamlet's uncle admits to himself that he has done something dreadful by killing his brother. He says
O my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.
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Why then, the world's mine oyster.
From The Merry Wives of Windsor. These days, when peolple say "the world's your oyster" they mean that you can do or achieve anything you want to.
There are more things in heaven and earth,
Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophy.
From Hamlet. People often say "there are more thing in heaven and earth" to mean that we cannot think of everything that might happen or that might exist.
This is what Hamlet was saying when he was telling his friend Horatio that he really had seen the ghost of his father.
Is this a dagger which I see before me..?
From Macbeth. Another saying that people use humorously. People sometimes hold an object up and say, for example, "Is this a saucepan which I see before me?" or "Is this a ticket which I see before me?"
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
From Romeo and Juliet. People sometimes say this when they are saying goodbye. They usually mean it slightly humorously.
To be, or not to be, that is the question.
This is Hamlet, beginning his most famous speach, and thinking about killing himself. People sometimes use the guote with a different verb, usually humorously. For example, if someone is trying to decide whether to use their car or take a train for a jorney, they might say "To drive, or not to drive?"
A pound of flesh.
People often talk about "demanding a pound of flesh" when they mean they want what is owed to them.
This comes from Merchant of Venice. Antonio has had to borrow money from Shylock. If he doesn't pay the money back on time, then he has to give up a pound of his flesh. Of course, he can't pay it back, and so Shylock demands his pound of flesh.
There's method in his/her madness is a co,,on saying in English. People say it when talking about strange behavior which they realize has a proper purpose. It comes from Hamlet again, where he says Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
From Richard III. During the Bosworth Field, Richard loses his horse and is desperate for another one, so offers his entire kingdom in exchange for it. It's another Shakespeare line which people sometimes use humorously, saying things like "A drink, a drink! My kingdom for a drink!"
You have to be cruel to be kind.
It means that sometimes you have to do something that someone else does not like, but which will eventually be good for them. Originally, this came from Hamlet, when he said: I must be cruel only to be kind.
exposted on Learn English and own diary.
источник LONGMAN Dictionary of English Language and Culture