A Dictionary of Shakespearian Quotations

Every human feeling, answered by Shakespeare: an 1892 dictionary that files the Bard's best lines under the passions they express — from Ambition to Woe.

About the Book

1892Published
John B. Alden (pub.)Author
1066Topics

This 1892 dictionary, published by John B. Alden of New York, arranges Shakespeare's 'most forcible passages' alphabetically by the passions, affections and emotions they illustrate.

It was a parlor reference for an age that quoted Shakespeare the way ours quotes films — need words for Jealousy, Liberty or Life? The right page has them, with act and scene citations.

The site also includes the book's own Life of Shakespeare and its period 'Brief Criticisms.'

This site reproduces the complete text of the original 1892 edition, digitized page by page from the original printing. The book is in the public domain.

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of A Dictionary of Shakespearian Quotations (1892) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.