It would be stupid of me to not have fallen in love with "the Bard" by now. After all, I spend a fair amount of my time living in his world between period dance, stage combat, and my actual Shakespeare class. Not loving him at this point would basically mean I was digging my own grave. The good thing is I came to love Shakespeare all on my own. I mean, come on. The language is simply gorgeous and timeless. For those of you who doubt me, here are some wise words from Billy Shakes himself in honor of the 400th year anniversary of his death.

1. "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - "All's Well That Ends Well"

2. "No legacy is so rich as honesty." - "All's Well That Ends Well"

3. "We know what we are now but not what we may be."- "Hamlet"

4. "Brevity is the soul of wit." - "Hamlet"

5. "Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once." - "Julius Caesar"

6. "Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven." - "Henry VI, Part 2"

7. "The empty vessel makes the loudest sound." -"Henry V"

8. "With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." - "The Merchant of Venice"

9. "All that glitters is not gold." - "The Merchant of Venice"

10. "Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful." -"Measure for Measure"

11. "Self-love...is not so vile a sin as self-neglect." -"Henry V"

12. "I bear a charmed life." - "Macbeth"

13. "Nothing can come from nothing." - "King Lear"

14. "The miserable have no other medicine, but only hope." -Measure for Measure

15. "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded by a sleep." - "The Tempest"

16. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..." - "As You Like It"

17. "To thine own self be true." - "Hamlet"

It doesn't matter whether your struggles are modern or medieval. The human struggle remains very much the same, making Shakespeare's verse a lesson to us all. May we carry it forever in our hearts.