Out of all of the playwrights that have ever existed, there is one who has left an especially sizable mark, and that’s William Shakespeare, the Bard himself. As History.com reported, he “has had more theatrical works performed than any other playwright” and is known as England’s national poet. He’s basically essential reading in most high schools, and his plays are performed all over the world. As the Poetry Foundation noted, even though he is known as a playwright, he first became famous for his poetry. Because of his some 39 plays and many sonnets and poems, there are so many famous lines you can pick from, but today’s quote of the day is maybe one of his most well-known and touches on living up to your potential no matter your lot in life.
He wrote most of his known works from the early 1590s until around 1612, when he retired; he died a few years later in 1616, per History.com. The Globe Theater—where Shakespeare debuted a lot of productions of his plays as part-owner and writer for the company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men—opened in 1599 and continued until 1613, when the original theater burned down. Julius Caesar is thought to be the first play Shakespeare wrote for the Globe Theater in the spring of 1599. Other plays written to be performed at this theater include Hamlet, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Othello, Macbeth and more.
There is so much more we could say about Shakespeare, but he really is someone whose work speaks for itself. And today’s quote might be one of his most well-known sentiments left behind in his legacy.
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Quote of the Day by William Shakespeare
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“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
This famous quote comes from Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night. According to the Australian theatre company Bell Shakespeare, the play was written around 1601-1602 and was performed publicly for the first time on Feb. 2, 1602, in London during Candlemas.
The play follows the story of twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are in a shipwreck and become separated. Viola has to disguise herself as a man (named Cesario) for survival, and both siblings think the other is dead. She goes to work for the house of the Duke Orsino and falls in love with him. Hijinks, misunderstandings and more ensue in this Shakespearean comedy.
The character Malvolio is the one who recites this iconic line in Act 2, scene 5; he is the head servant (steward) in Olivia’s household (Olivia is a noble lady of Illyria). He is snooty, self-righteous and looks down on others who have fun and drink. Because of this, others in the house play a prank on him by leaving a fake letter for him to find that is “written” by Olivia about her “love” for Malvolio. He finds the letter, falls for it, and reads it out loud.
This quote is from the second part of the letter, where the writer of the note (who, again, he presumes is Olivia) wishes her “unknown beloved” would rise from his station to a higher one with power. He presumes she means that she wants him to live up to his full potential so that he can be head of her house when they get married (once again, under the lie that this letter is from Olivia). “She” writes:
“If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In mystars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness.Some are born great, some achieve greatness, andsome have greatness thrust upon ’em. Thy fates opentheir hands. Let thy blood and spirit embrace them.And, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, castthy humble slough and appear fresh.”
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Deeper Meaning of William Shakespeare’s Quote—Living up to Your Potential
If you’ve ever seen The Lizzie McGuire movie, you might remember when Lizzie’s dad starts to recite this quote to her before she goes on to ruin her 8th-grade graduation (she says something like, “Great, my dad is going to quote a dead guy”). And then, you have She’s the Man, starring Amanda Bynes, which is a modern adaptation of Twelfth Night. In it, Duke Orsino (played by Channing Tatum) recites this line before they finish the Illyria vs. Cornwall soccer game and whoop their butts.
Those are the most famous places I’ve ever heard this quote, but they’re also great examples of what this quote has gone on to mean for those who read it. It’s not remembered as a line from a fake love letter written to prank the high-strung steward. Instead, the quote has gone on to be a good reminder to live up to your potential.
Taken out of context—or even read in the context of what Malvolio thinks it’s in, too—this quote is saying that while some are born with natural talent or into wealthy families, some can work up to it. You might not have been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but you can work hard through education and perseverance to hoist yourself up to a “higher station” in life. Or just achieve your goals and make a better life for yourself than you were born into. And the last part of the quote—“some have greatness thrust upon ‘em”—is also saying that some people have to step into powerful roles because it’s their duty or it’s something being asked of them.
This is all preceded by the line, “be not afraid of greatness,” which is also telling the reader that you shouldn’t be afraid of your potential. Don’t hold back from working and growing into who you were destined to be just because you’re scared of what it could lead to or mean. Or maybe you’re fearful of failure or the hard work it will take to get there. But Shakespeare is simply saying you shouldn’t be.
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More Quotes from William Shakespeare
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” “This above all: to thine own self be true,/And it must follow, as the night the day,/Thou canst not then be false to any man.” “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,/His acts being seven ages.” “Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find.” “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.” “Don’t waste your love on somebody who doesn’t value it.”Up Next:
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