Shakespeare in 2025: 10 legendary lines that still speak to students
Four centuries have passed since William Shakespeare inked his mind into plays and poetry, yet the echo of his writing continues to pulse through the conversations and thoughts of today.
The Bard of Avon didn't just author plays and sonnets; he crafted a timeless world for generations to float through when seeking inspiration and self-reflection.
The cobblestone streets of 16th-century England continue all the way to modern classrooms around the globe, and Shakespeare's language has proven remarkably resilient. His phrases have woven themselves so deeply into the cultural fabric that his works are often quoted even without proper acknowledgement of his contributions.
For students embarking on their literary journey, or those who seek to enlighten themselves about the literature legend, these ten quotes are quintessential.
1. "To be, or not to be: that is the question." (Hamlet)
When Hamlet wrestles with existence itself, he voices perhaps literature's most famous philosophical dilemma. This isn't merely about life and death, it's about choice, courage, and the weight of consciousness. Students often discover that this line opens up profound discussions about decision-making and the human condition that feel surprisingly contemporary.
2. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." (As You Like It)
Shakespeare presents life as an elaborate performance where each person assumes different roles throughout their existence. This theatrical metaphor continues to resonate because it captures something fundamental about how we navigate social expectations and personal identity, themes that feel especially relevant to students figuring out their place in the world.
3. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Romeo and Juliet)
Beyond its romantic surface, Juliet's lament reveals the tragedy of social barriers and predetermined identities.
She's not asking where Romeo is, but why he must be who he is, a member of her family's enemy house. This quote illuminates how external circumstances can complicate our deepest connections.
4. "Et tu, Brute?" (Julius Caesar)
In just three words, Shakespeare captures the devastating moment when trust shatters completely. Caesar's final words to his friend Brutus have become shorthand for unexpected betrayal, demonstrating how the playwright could distill complex emotions into unforgettable phrases.
5. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (Hamlet)
This observation about excessive denial has found new life in our age of public discourse and social media. When someone's defense becomes suspiciously elaborate, we recognise the psychology Shakespeare identified centuries ago, that overstatement often reveals what it attempts to conceal.
6. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet)
Juliet argues that labels shouldn't determine worth, a concept that speaks powerfully to contemporary discussions about identity, stereotypes, and social categories.
Shakespeare understood that society's tendency to judge by surface markers often obscures deeper truths.
7. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." (Macbeth)
The witches' paradoxical chant introduces a play where moral boundaries constantly shift. This line has become a touchstone for discussing how appearances can deceive and how good and evil aren't always clearly defined, lessons particularly relevant in our complex modern world.
8. "Parting is such sweet sorrow." (Romeo and Juliet)
Shakespeare captures the contradictory emotions of goodbye, the pain of separation mixed with love's enduring promise.
This oxymoron perfectly expresses how human feelings often resist simple categorisation, making it endlessly quotable for anyone experiencing complicated farewells.
9. "Brevity is the soul of wit." (Hamlet)
Ironically delivered by the verbose Polonius, this advice about concise communication remains remarkably relevant in our information-saturated age. Shakespeare understood that the most powerful messages often come in compact packages, a lesson every student writer should embrace.
10. "All that glitters is not gold." (The Merchant of Venice)
This warning against superficial judgment has become one of English literature's most enduring proverbs. In Shakespeare's hands, it serves as both practical advice and philosophical insight about the difference between appearance and reality.
Why These Words Endure
Shakespeare's genius lies not only in storytelling but in distilling universal human experiences into unforgettable language. These quotes endure because they speak to timeless struggles, identity, love, betrayal, choice, and mortality. For students, engaging with them offers more than literary insight; it provides a vocabulary for life's complexities. Written to be spoken aloud and felt, they remain alive, connecting us across centuries to share enduring truths about the human condition.
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Time of India
2 days ago
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Shakespeare in 2025: 10 legendary lines that still speak to students
Four centuries have passed since William Shakespeare inked his mind into plays and poetry, yet the echo of his writing continues to pulse through the conversations and thoughts of today. The Bard of Avon didn't just author plays and sonnets; he crafted a timeless world for generations to float through when seeking inspiration and self-reflection. The cobblestone streets of 16th-century England continue all the way to modern classrooms around the globe, and Shakespeare's language has proven remarkably resilient. His phrases have woven themselves so deeply into the cultural fabric that his works are often quoted even without proper acknowledgement of his contributions. For students embarking on their literary journey, or those who seek to enlighten themselves about the literature legend, these ten quotes are quintessential. 1. "To be, or not to be: that is the question." (Hamlet) When Hamlet wrestles with existence itself, he voices perhaps literature's most famous philosophical dilemma. This isn't merely about life and death, it's about choice, courage, and the weight of consciousness. Students often discover that this line opens up profound discussions about decision-making and the human condition that feel surprisingly contemporary. 2. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." (As You Like It) Shakespeare presents life as an elaborate performance where each person assumes different roles throughout their existence. This theatrical metaphor continues to resonate because it captures something fundamental about how we navigate social expectations and personal identity, themes that feel especially relevant to students figuring out their place in the world. 3. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Romeo and Juliet) Beyond its romantic surface, Juliet's lament reveals the tragedy of social barriers and predetermined identities. She's not asking where Romeo is, but why he must be who he is, a member of her family's enemy house. This quote illuminates how external circumstances can complicate our deepest connections. 4. "Et tu, Brute?" (Julius Caesar) In just three words, Shakespeare captures the devastating moment when trust shatters completely. Caesar's final words to his friend Brutus have become shorthand for unexpected betrayal, demonstrating how the playwright could distill complex emotions into unforgettable phrases. 5. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (Hamlet) This observation about excessive denial has found new life in our age of public discourse and social media. When someone's defense becomes suspiciously elaborate, we recognise the psychology Shakespeare identified centuries ago, that overstatement often reveals what it attempts to conceal. 6. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet) Juliet argues that labels shouldn't determine worth, a concept that speaks powerfully to contemporary discussions about identity, stereotypes, and social categories. Shakespeare understood that society's tendency to judge by surface markers often obscures deeper truths. 7. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." (Macbeth) The witches' paradoxical chant introduces a play where moral boundaries constantly shift. This line has become a touchstone for discussing how appearances can deceive and how good and evil aren't always clearly defined, lessons particularly relevant in our complex modern world. 8. "Parting is such sweet sorrow." (Romeo and Juliet) Shakespeare captures the contradictory emotions of goodbye, the pain of separation mixed with love's enduring promise. This oxymoron perfectly expresses how human feelings often resist simple categorisation, making it endlessly quotable for anyone experiencing complicated farewells. 9. "Brevity is the soul of wit." (Hamlet) Ironically delivered by the verbose Polonius, this advice about concise communication remains remarkably relevant in our information-saturated age. Shakespeare understood that the most powerful messages often come in compact packages, a lesson every student writer should embrace. 10. "All that glitters is not gold." (The Merchant of Venice) This warning against superficial judgment has become one of English literature's most enduring proverbs. In Shakespeare's hands, it serves as both practical advice and philosophical insight about the difference between appearance and reality. Why These Words Endure Shakespeare's genius lies not only in storytelling but in distilling universal human experiences into unforgettable language. These quotes endure because they speak to timeless struggles, identity, love, betrayal, choice, and mortality. For students, engaging with them offers more than literary insight; it provides a vocabulary for life's complexities. Written to be spoken aloud and felt, they remain alive, connecting us across centuries to share enduring truths about the human condition. Ready to empower your child for the AI era? Join our program now! Hurry, only a few seats left.
Scroll.in
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Twinkle, twinkle, little star: Cosmology and the composition of verse
Knowing someone on the field as a fellow cricketer is one thing. So too becoming privy to his engaging forays into Maharashtrian antiquities. Quite something else it is to listen to Professor Girish Kulkarni of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research giving a public lecture on the properties of the Universe in its first billion years. Among Girish Kulkarni's beguiling analogies and metaphors, I am particularly struck by his comparison of the way the further you venture out into space, that is also, given the speed of light, back in time, what is known becomes more fragmentary in the way archaeologists digging down under a modern city usually find fewer remains as they go until there is nothing at all. To this model or metaphor, apparently, there is one exception. At a certain distant 'epoch' in space, beyond the imagining except in esoteric mathematical formulae, there is a 'zone' so clear it is as if an archaeologist, digging down into ever lower levels, has come upon a city – some lost Harappa or Pompeii – relatively well preserved. This is a surprise and creates a puzzle for cosmologists since it fits ill with the otherwise established pattern of a diminishing series. History of poetry: 'The Star As a woolly-minded versifier, I find myself provoked to toy with the possibility of an analogy between this riddle of contemporary cosmology and the surprises that can be thrown up by the composition of verse as well as its history. First, a historical example. Let me ask a question such as Girish Kulkarni might ask about versification. Which is the most widely known verse of English poetry? Perhaps something by Shakespeare? Or Wordsworth? Or Byron? Well, that might be so but my own random sample taken from many rambles across the world might suggest by way of answer a verse with which you will surely be familiar. By chance, it is curiously appropriate for cosmology: 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are'. I have found so many people, especially but not exclusively children, from Beijing to Budapest, from Madrid to Montreal, who, even when knowing little English, can recite this verse. I have seen copies of it inscribed on plates and on wall-hangings. Of course you know this verse, surely we all do, but, since we tend to remember poetry just in fragments, do you remember – I didn't – how it goes on and elaborates on the theme of the twinkling star? The movement of the verse is tied to a constant refrain of its iconic first line in a way that is common to Indian prosody. It returns to it finally via a line no doubt equally congenial to cosmologists as they confront newer objects of astronomical ignorance such as black holes and dark matter: 'Though I know not what you are, twinkle, twinkle, little star'. As with much poetry, often assigned for reasons good as well as bad to Anon, you may have forgotten or never known the name of the author of 'The Star'? It is Jane Taylor who, along with her sister Ann, was a phenomenally successful and well-loved writer in the Victorian era and beyond, at home and abroad. If you have seen the film PK, you may also be surprised to learn that it is indirectly, as stories by Browning and Mark Twain were directly, indebted to another of Jane's works, 'How It Strikes a Stranger'. This moral tale pioneered a genre whereby a stranger from outer space – Jane's from her twinkling Evening Star – arrives on Earth and exposes while experiencing the absurdities of human behaviour. Jane's particular target was Man's greed for wealth and possessions in the face of mortality. Composition of poetry: The Rubaiyát of Omar Khayyám That it is out of an inchoate chaos the coherent patterns of polished poems are salvaged and constructed may be illustrated by the story of a poem as widely read among free-thinking adults of all classes in late Victorian times as the works of the Taylors were among religious families – pirate editions appearing in India as well as England and America. To an astronomer and mathematician, Omar Khayyám, is ascribed a series of verses, none or few of which he may have composed at all. These are the Persian versions of rubaiyát better known to us in Edward FitzGerald's English translations – transcreations more like, even occasionally total inventions. The rubai is, like the ballad, a people's form from the countryside and it is ironic that many of the Persian originals, made available to FitzGerald by his teacher, Edward Byles Cowell, a professor of Sanskrit in (then) Calcutta, were composed in the sophisticated courts of north India. Whether or not Omar Khayyám ever did toss off a rubai or two at the end of his lectures on science, FitzGerald gathered a selection of the ever increasing number attributed to him and, having first tried some in Latin, tesselated them, as he put it, into a mosaic, stringing the disparate and discrete originals into a coherent sequence they never had – and so providing us with a whole galaxy of twinkling stars. Readers frequently return the collection to its former fragmented state by singling out a particularly memorable quatrain, perhaps, for example: 'And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky Whereunder crawling coop'd we live and die, Lift not thy hands to It for help – for It Rolls impotently on as Thou or I' FitzGerald, who invariably deferred to his – younger – teacher, Professor Cowell, only once rebuffed him and that was to insist on his own more sympathetic rather than his teacher's far more laboured - if faithful – versions of Omariana being published first. In the event the first edition of his Rubaiyát of 'Omar Khayyám (1859) fell dead from the press, the next edition, published curiously in (then) Madras, did no better and FitzGerald died before quatrains from his poem became as familiar as stars in the sky. Reading poetry: 'The Disillusioned Bride' If the composition and dissemination of verse is as volatile as anything in the cosmos, the reading of it can also be as various and puzzling. Scroll back towards the beginnings of Jane Taylor's career and one poem attributed to her is so unlike anything else she ever wrote that it is widely supposed it cannot be hers. The timbered Guildhall Museum in Lavenham once housed an extensive exhibition of works by the Taylor family. A visiting stranger from the 21st century, as if from another star, would have been struck by the difference as well as coherence of their cultural universe. Their tales and verses all have a strictly moral tone. Throughout the long 19th century, these made a substantial contribution to a strain of English-speaking culture that prized domesticity and duty above all else. The works of the sisters outlived them and they were still superstars of the nursery when an enlarged centenary edition of their Original Poems was published to greet the new century in 1903. Two years later their supernova even survived the threat of collapse into a black hole brought on by their own gravity. In his Cautionary Tales Hilaire Belloc published a series of hilarious parodies of their verses for children in which particular boys and girls don't simply suffer a bit of retribution as do Ann's Meddlesome Matty and Jane's Dirty Jim but all die in agony – and of course quite ridiculously – for such minor misdemeanours as slamming doors or chewing bits of string. Perhaps only that alien stranger to the Taylor family exhibition would have been idle or impertinent enough to look behind a door leading out of the room and find hanging there a manuscript poem that simply doesn't fit the picture at all. An adjacent note attributed it to Jane and gave its title as 'The Disillusioned Bride'. This poem has a newly-married young woman, in twelve increasingly spirited stanzas, berating her husband for growing cool towards her and threatening to leave him if he doesn't pay proper attention to her and her feelings. Surely the attribution of this poem to Jane has to be misplaced? Jane herself never had a husband. But did she perhaps have had a friend who, like a young woman in a later moral tale she wrote, 'Display', jumped into a showy marriage she soon regretted? If the subject of Jane's – never published – poem is puzzling, the form of it (pointed up in the title of a second unattributed variant secreted in a Suffolk archive) compounds the puzzle. Jane's poem begins: 'The twentieth week is well nigh past, Since first in church we two were ask'd, Ah would we had not gone at last! My husband…' This use of a stanza form composed of a triplet followed by an apostrophe was also used by Jane's sister Ann in 'My Mother' (published 1804), a poem destined to become as popular worldwide as 'The Star'. But it was not from Ann that Jane borrowed the form: both sisters were indebted for that to William Cowper, a poet whose works were much admired in Non-conformist circles for their domestic pieties. In 1803, 'To Mary', a poem by Cowper, had been published posthumously. It sadly regretted the terminal illness of a longtime companion: 'The twentieth year is well night past Since first our sky was overcast, Ah would that this might be the last! My Mary…' While it is easy to see why Jane could not have published a poem that explicitly followed the syntax of Cowper's so closely, it is puzzling why she would have chosen to speak at all in a loud spirited tone the very reverse of the quiet piety heard in Cowper's poem. Quite possibly Girish Kulkarni, familiar with the peculiarities of the entire cosmos, would have hit upon the answer rather more quickly than I did. The truth is that the lens of the Telescope of Time through which we now look at Jane's poem has been adjusted, if not changed. It is not Jane but we who have upended and abandoned her customary moral assumptions. In reading a dramatic monologue such as these three poems are, we tend to identify with the speaker – unless and until our own values cause us to take exception to what they are saying. While we today may hear the voice of Jane's disillusioned bride as that of a spirited young woman putting her negligent husband right about the needs of his new partner, Jane would have heard it as that of a strident one who needs to learn, as does the young woman in 'Display', to make the transition from being a petulant bride to a sensible wife. Of course it could still be that something of Jane's heart has gone into her portrait of the bride, even as her head has not. Could it be that her bride is simultaneously an admirable and independently-minded young woman and a pitiable and petulant one? Perhaps she owns a cat called Schrödinger? Cosmos Conceptions of the cosmos, so I understand from Girish Kulkarni's lecture, are likewise composed of fragments that might be perceived diametrically differently and re-arranged coherently in diverse ways. That said, can there really be any comparison between earth-bound scribblers mired in the maya of drafting pretty little verses and cosmologists far out in space intent on measuring as they are wafted along on it what the ancient seers referred to as the Breath of Brahma? Girish Kulkarni's recent public lecture on Cosmology at Kaapi for Kuriosity may be found here. John Drew's latest collection of essays and verses, Bangla File, is available from ULAB Press, Dhaka.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Hans India
A compromise between the need for perfection and practicality will work wonders in life
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. The roots of drama in the Indian subcontinent can be traced to the Rigveda period, or 1500 to 1000 BCE. The classical stage of Indian drama, however, began with the composition of 'Natyasastra', or the science of drama, which is attributed to Sage Bharata, somewhere between 200 BC and 200 CE. The Indian theatre movement later went through three phases-the classical, traditional and modern. Kalidasa, whose immortal works include Megha Sandesam and Abhignana Sakuntalam, was a great exponent of the art of acting during the traditional period. Luminaries such as Kandukuri Veeresalingam, and Gurajada Appa Rao in Telugu, Lakshmi Baruva in Assamese, Kerala Varma Thampuran in Malayalam, and Shankar and P. Sambandha Mudaliar in Tamil, are among many others, who are remembered for their contributions in the more modern times From times immemorial, it has served as a space for entertainment and exploration of complex themes. It involves bringing characters to life through performance. It requires a deep understanding of human behaviour, emotions, and psychology, as well as the ability to convey these elements convincingly to an audience. In ancient Greece, in particular, it evolved from religious rituals into a form of dramatic performance in open-air venues, like the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens. Acting is a multifaceted art. Its techniques and methods are diverse, each offering unique tools for actors to create believable and compelling performances. Some of the techniques popular in the western are Stanislavski's System, Method Acting, and Meisner's Spontaneity, mastering which enhances the authenticity of performances. In ancient Indian arts, one type of art often depended on the other form as necessary complements. Drama, for example, often went together with singing and dance , the three forms combining harmoniously to offer the audiences a rich product. Whether drawing from personal experience, imagination, or script analysis, actors employ a range of strategies to inhabit their characters and connect with audiences. Understanding and mastering these techniques can help aspiring actors develop their craft and bring characters to life, on stage and screen depending on which platform they are performing. Training to be an actor can take various forms, and aspiring actors often pursue a combination of methods. Drama schools and conservatories, for instance, offer intensive programs focused on acting techniques, voice, movement, and scene study. Many universities offer Bachelor's or Master's degrees in theatre or drama, which provide a comprehensive education in acting, directing, and production. Several talented, and experienced, individuals have also been known to undertake the task of training people to be actors. For example, Stella Adler was arguably the most important teacher of acting in American history. Over her long career, both in New York and Hollywood, she passed on her vast acting knowledge to generations of actors, including Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, and Robert De Niro. The Juilliard School (USA), Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) are consistently recognised for their rigorous training and high-quality instruction. Several top acting schools in India also offer comprehensive training in acting and related fields. The National School of Drama (NSD), the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares are widely considered among the best. Every profession has its share of people, who have done reasonably well without any formal training, at the time of induction. For instance, I had neither the opportunity, nor the desire, to get trained in an institution, to prepare for the civil services examinations, with my father providing all the necessary support, encouragement, and help. Likewise, it was by sheer accident that I entered into the movie field, as a six-year-old; naturally, with no formal training, whatsoever. The courtship with that profession lasted about three years, covering about 28 movies, in Telugu, Tamil and English. I had an occasion to recall that experience when, in 2004, Chiranjeevi asked me to inaugurate the website of his blood bank in Jubilee Hills. During the function, he asked, 'Is it true that you were a child film star?' I replied, 'Yes. But I have never acted so much in my life, as I am doing in my present job!' Every profession calls for total dedication, complete devotion, a fierce commitment to error-free performance and a certain amount of pride in being a practitioner of that particular occupation. The ability to work out a comfortable compromise, between the need for perfection and the imperatives of practicality, is a crucial requirement. My comment also owed its spirit to the fact that I had, in fact, not only acted in movies, but also had spent close to four decades in public service. I had the credentials, therefore, to make a comparison between the demands that the two professions make. The point I was making was that, just as Chiranjeevi's vocation demanded a good deal of administrative ability, the job of a civil servant also requires a reasonable amount of talent for histrionics. The light hearted snippet, with which I usually end my pieces, will, I am afraid, be a bit of a déjà vu experience for the readers, this week. Upon the formation of the new state of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the High Court of the erstwhile Madras State was bifurcated, and my father, a lawyer by profession, moved to Guntur, the headquarters of the new High Court. Soon thereafter, he was elevated to the Bench of the new court. Koka Subbarao who subsequently rose to become the Chief Justice of India and was known for many landmark judgments, was the Chief Justice of Andhra High Court at that time. I was then a sixth grader, in the Majeti Guravaiah High school. People generally knew that I had, earlier, been a child actor. Expectations, therefore, were high when I was asked to do a bit of mono action – that of enacting the famous speech of Hamlet at Caesar's funeral in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I had got no further than the 'Friends, Romans and countrymen, …' bit, when I began to stutter and stammer, and generally made a hash of the whole thing. Head hung in shame, I was walking away from the stage, to where were my parents were sitting, when Koka Subba Rao, sitting in the front row in the audience, as the chief guest of the function, beckoned to me and gently whispered in my ear, 'be sure to button your fly next time you appear on stage!'. (The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)
