Murder: Quotations from Shakespearian Quotations
The great King of kings Hath in the table of his law commanded, That thou shalt do no murder: Wilt thou then Spurn at his edict, and fulfil a man's? Take heed; for he holds vengeance in his hand, To hurl upon their heads that break his law.— R. III. i. 4
There is no sure foundation set on blood; No certain life achiev'd by others' death.— K. J. iv. 2
Not afraid to kill him, having a warrant for it; but to be damned for killing him, from the which no warrant can defend me.— R. III. i. 4
This is the bloodiest shame, The wildest savag'ry, the vilest stroke, That ever wall-eyed wrath, or staring rage, Presented to the tears of soft remorse.— K. J. iv. 3
Thou sure and firm-set earth, near not my steps, which way they walk, for fear The very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it.— M. ii. 1
The tyrannous and bloody act is done; The most arch deed of piteous massacre That ever yet this land was guilty of. MURDER, -cantinued. Dighton, and Forrest, whom I did suborn To do this piece of ruthless butchery, Albeit they were flesh'd villains, blood dogs. Melting with tenderness, and mild compassion, Wept like two children, in their death's sad story.— R. III. iv. 3.
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.— R. J. iii. 1.
No place, indeed, should murder sanctuarize.— H. iv. 7.
Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time, Ere human statute purg'd the general weal; Ay, and since, too, murders have been perform'd Too terrible for the ear; the times have been, That when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end: but now, they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools: This is more strange Than such a murder is.— M. iii. 4.
It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood; Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak; Augures, and understood relations, have By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth The secret'st man of blood— M. iii. 4.
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ.— H. ii. 2
Who finds the heifer dead and bleeding fresh, And sees fast by a butcher with an axe, But will suspect 'twas he that made the slaughter? Who finds the partridge in the puttock's nest, But may imagine how the bird was dead, Although the kite soar with unbloodied beak, Even so suspicious is this tragedy.— H. VI. PT. II. iii. 2.
Wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus, with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost.— M. ii. 1
With all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one, red.— M. ii. 2.
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals! How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! You have no children, butchers! if you had, The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse.— H. VI. PT. III. v. 5
Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural.— H. i. 5
The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven, or to hell.— M. ii. 1.
Safe in a ditch he bides, With twenty trenched gashes on his head; The least a death to nature. M. ii.4
The Duke Of Clarence
Hast thou that holy feeling in thy soul, To counsel me to make my peace with God, And art thou yet to thy own soul so blind, That thou wilt war with God, by murd'ring me? Ah, sirs, consider, he, that set you on To do this deed, will hate you for the deed. Not to relent, is beastly savage, devilish. Which, of you, if you were a prince's son, Being pent from liberty, as I am now, If two such murderers as yourselves came to you, Would not entreat for life? My friend, I-spy some pity in thy looks; O, if thine eye be not a flatterer, Come thou on my side, and entreat for me, As you would beg, were you in my distress. A begging prince what beggar pities not? 2nd Murderer.- Look behind you, my lord. 1st Murderer. Take that, and that. (Stabbing him.)— R. III. i. 4
- - YOUNG PRINCES (WALES and YORK). O thus, quoth Dighton, lay the gentle babes, - Thus, thus, quoth Forrest, girdling one another Within their alabaster innocent arms; Their lips were four red roses on a stalk, Which, in their summer beauty, kiss'd each other. A book of prayers on their pillow lay; Which, once, quoth Forrest, almost chang'd my mind, But, O, the devil-there the villain stopp'd When Dighton thus told on, we smothered The most replenished sweet work of nature, That. from the prime creation, e'er she fram'd.— R. III. iv. 3
Richard The Second
Exton. From your own mouth, my lord, did I this deed Bolingbroke. They love not poison that do poison need, Nor do I thee; though I did wish him dead,