The Root of Humanity in Shakespeare (O—S)

O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!

Richard III—v, 3

Of all base passions, fear is most accurs'd.

1 Henry VI—v, 2

O, gentle Proteus, love's a mighty lord!

Two Gentlemen of Verona—ii, 4

O God, thy arm was here;

And not to us, but to thy arm alone

Ascribe we all. 

Henry V—iv, 8

O heaven! that one might read the book of fate;

And see the revolution of the times.

2 Henry IV—iii, 1

O heaven, that such companions thou'dst unfold,

And put in every honest hand a whip,

To lash the rascals naked through the world!

Othello—iv, 2

Oh! mischief! thou art swift

To enter in the thoughts of desperate men.

Romeo and Juliet—v, 1

Oh! that men should put an enemy into their mouths, to steal away their brains.

Othello—ii, 3

Oh! what authority and show of truth

Can cunning sin cover itself withal.

Much Ado About Nothing—iv, 1

O, let the heavens

Give him defence against the elements!

Othello—ii, 1

O Lord, that lends me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

2 Henry VI—i

O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies

In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.

Romeo and Juliet—ii, 3

Omittance is no quittance.

As You Like It—iii. 5

O, momentary grace of mortal men,

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! 

Richard—iii. 4

One doth not know

How much an ill word may empoison liking.

Much Ado about Nothing Mitch Ado—iii, 1

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. 

Troilus and Cressida—iii, 3

Open, locks, whoever knocks.

Macbeth—iv, 1

O, powerful love! that, in some respects, makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast. 

Merry Wives of Windsor—v, 5

O, spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou!

Twelfth Night—i, 1

O, upright, true, and just-disposing God,

How do I thank thee! 

Richard III—iv, 4

Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners. 

Othello—i, 3

Our children's children

Shall see this, and bless heaven.

Henry VII1—v, 4

Our content is our best having.

Henry VIII—ii, 3

Our corn's to reap, for yet our tithe's to sow.

Measure for Measure—iv, 1

Our doubts are traitors,

And make us lose the good we oft might win,

By fearing to attempt. 

Measure for Measure—i, 5

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose.

Lear—iv, 4

Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own. 

Hamlet—iii, 2

O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men hourly do! not knowing what they do! 

Much Ado about Nothing—iv, 1

Our worser thoughts heaven mend!

Antony and Cleopatra—i, 2

O, what may man within him hide,

Though angel on the outward side!

Measure for Measure—iii, 2

A scene captured in Taroudant, capital of the Anti-Atlas (January 1967)—Juan Pando Barrero—Pando Archives—Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

Perdition catch my soul

But I do love thee! and when I love thee not

Chaos is come again. 

Othello—iii, 3

Perseverance

Keeps honour bright. To have done, is to hang

Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail

In monumental mockery.

Troilus and Cressida—iii, 3

Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts.

Henry V—Chorus to Act i

Poor and content, is rich, and rich enough.

Othello—iii, 3

Pray now, forget and forgive.

Lear—iv, 7

Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings.

Macbeth—i, 3

Press not a falling man too far.

Henry VIII—iii, 2

Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy in a promotional image for the 1950 film Father of the Bride—Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Rancour will out.

2 Henry VI—i, 1

Read not my blemishes in the world's report;

I have not kept my square, but that to come

Shall all be done by the rule.

Antony and Cleopatra—ii, 3

Repent what's past; avoid what is to come.

Hamlet—iii, 4

Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!

Hamlet—i, 5

Riches, frameless, is as poor as winter,

To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

Othello—iii, 3

Rumour doth double, like the voice and echo.

2 Henry IV—iii, 1

Rumour is a pipe

Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures,

2 Henry lV—Induction

A man stands taking a photograph from Clevedon pier—User Mattbuck from Wikimedia Commons—Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Silence is the perfectest herald of joy; 

I were but little happy if I could say how much.

Much Ado about Nothing—ii, 1

Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes

Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,

The bird of dawning singeth all night long.

Hamlet—i, 1

So full of artless jealousy is guilt,

It spills itself, in fearing to be spilt.

Hamlet—iv, 5

So Judas kiss'd his master

And cried,—all hail! when as he meant—all harm. 

3 Henry VI—v, 6

So let him rest, his faults lie gently on him.

Henry VIII—iv, 2

Some certain dregs of conscience are yet within me.

Richard Ill—i, 4

Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes

Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,

The bird of dawning singeth all night long.

Hamlet—i, 1

So part we sadly in this troublous world,

To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.

3 Henry VI—v, 4

Sorrow and grief have vanquished all my powers. 

2 Henry VI—ii, 1

Speak pardon, as 'tis current in our land;

The chopping French we do not understand.

Richard II—v, 3

Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace.

Henry VIII—iii, 2

Stony limits cannot hold love out.

Romeo and Juliet—ii, 2

Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Lear—i, 4

Strong reasons make strange actions.

King John—iii, 4

Study what you most affect.

Taming of the Shrew—i, 1

Suit the action to the word, and the word to the action. 

Hamlet—iii, 2

Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.

Hamlet—i, 3

Swear by thy gracious self,

Which is the god of my idolatry.

Romeo and Juliet—ii, 2

Sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;

Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

Sonnet 94

Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.

Titus Andronicus—i, 1

Sweet peace conduct his sweet soul to the bosom

Of good old Abraham! 

Richard II—iv, 1

Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in the ballet La Bayadere