Midlist Writer: Websites for Writers: Shakespeare Quotes

Monday 1 November 2010

Websites for Writers: Shakespeare Quotes

It's Monday, so it's time for Websites for Writers. This week's site is courtesy of enotes and is a database of famous and not-so-famous quotes from Shakespeare. Quotes are organized by theme, play, and the character who said it.

As one of the greatest writers in the English language, The Bard is eminently quotable. He seemed to have come upwith a pithy phrase to suit any occasion, from the dangers of gossip ("Done to death by slanderous tongue") to meditations on beauty ("Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.")

Not only is his use of prose both inspiring and edifying for any writer--or reader for that matter--but you can find a quote to fit almost any situation. I've mentioned before on this blog how my Missouri Civil War novel got tied up with the whole James gang legend. Well, Frank James loved Shakespeare as many did back in those days and would often quote his favorite passages in casual conversation, or even when robbing trains! This site came in handy when writing his dialogue. It made me look much more literary than I actually am. :-)

So check out this site for quotable quotes for your own work. Shakespeare is in the public domain, so go to town!

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

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The Case of the Purloined Pyramid

The Last Hotel Room

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Radio Hope

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The Scavenger

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