All the world ‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. (As You Like It)

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a prolific author and playwright who revolutionized English theatre and whose works are known and quoted around the world. Many common English phrases come from his plays. You’ve probably heard at least one of these:

“as luck would have it” (Merry Wives of Windsor)
“give the devil his due” (King Henry IV Part I)
“it’s all Greek to me” (Julius Caesar)
“that’s neither here nor there” (Othello)
“wear my heart upon my sleeve” (Othello)

Many of the words in common use in English today were first noted in Shakespeare’s works. It’s not certain whether he invented the words or not, but he’s usually given the credit for coining the words, if no other citations are found. Here are some of the words attributed to Shakespeare’s genius:

sanctimonious – acting as if you have better morals than other people even though you do not

Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. (Measure for Measure)

Lucio describes a pirate who carries a copy of the Bible with him so that all can see how devout he is, but in secret he crossed out the commandment (“thou shalt not steal”) that he constantly breaks.

dauntless – not afraid or intimidated

‘Tis much he dares; and, to that dauntless temper of his mind, he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor to act in safety. (Macbeth)

Macbeth says that while Banquo is not afraid of anything, he’s wise enough to not take foolish chances.

inauspicious – unlucky, unfavorable, ill-omened

O, here will I set up my everlasting rest, and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh. (Romeo and Juliet)

Romeo is about to kill himself, and is happy to leave a life in which he has been unlucky in love and fortune.

Read, Listen, and Learn

Shakespeare’s writing is rich in vocabulary and imagery, and reading his plays will help you develop your own creative writing and speaking style. You might come across archaic words (ones that are no longer commonly used), but you’ll find more words that are useful than not. Remember, you’ll learn more quickly if you use more than one learning method, so after you read a play, look for a local theatre production of it, or rent one of the many videos available – the BBC did a complete series of the plays, and in the last few years there have been quite a few movies that use the original scripts. Try your hand at acting, and get a group of friends together to read the play aloud. And have fun with your new …

“Words, words, words.” (Hamlet)