The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Cassius says this to Brutus while recruiting him into the plot against Caesar. It is a persuasive argument, not a moral of the play: Cassius wants Brutus to stop accepting Caesar’s rule as fate. John Green’s 2012 novel borrowed the first half of the line for its title, which sent many readers back to the original.
All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;
Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once.
Doubt thou the stars are fire; / Doubt that the sun doth move; / Doubt truth to be a liar; / But never doubt I love.
I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
Call to mind from whence we sprang: / Ye were not form’d to live the life of brutes / But virtue to pursue and knowledge high.