27 Shakespeare Memes That Are A Rose By Any Other Meme

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Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jul 8, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Would a meme by any other name smell as sweet?

If there's one author that we have all probably read at some point, it's William Shakespeare. I was such a fan of his that I took two Shakespeare courses in college and subsequently had to buy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare twice (my second professor required a different edition). I loved that Shakespeare's plays were so interesting to analyze. They weren't so challenging that I couldn't understand anything, but they were no walk in the park either. There's a reason he's one of the few Renaissance writers taught in virtually every high school in America. He's accessible, challenging, and just so darn good at what he does. No wonder people thought that he must be a fraud! It's difficult to believe that one person wrote all of these iconic plays, and yet, it's true. 

Unfortunately, not all educators who teach Shakespeare are created equal. It's easy to make these incredible plays seem boring and inaccessible to modern audiences. Shakespeare memes are one fun way for educators and Shakespeare fans to celebrate his work and better understand it. Whether you've read all 38 plays or are still working through Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, these Shakespeare memes are sure to make you smile. 

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  • 01
    David Neary DeusExCinema. 5h I have just been made aware of this Korean stage production of Macbeth, please join me in celebrating its poster. 웃는 얼굴로 세상을 속이러 갑시다. 사악한 마음은 가면으로 감추고 MACBETH & William Shakespeare 맥베스 2024.07.13-08.18 국립극장 해오름 황정민 김소진 송일국 송영창 남윤호 외 연출 양정웅
    via @DeusExCinema

    I need that dress more than I've ever needed anything.

  • 02
    Two young lovers Friar John's inability to deliver a letter
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    Thanks a lot, Friar John!

  • 03
    Verizon 3G 2:48 Wednesday, April 16 Friar Lawrence now Juliet isn't de d slide to reply Friar Lawrence now Romeo, call me when you get this Friar Lawrence now Missed Call slide to unlock
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    iPhones could've saved many Shakespearean lives. But at the same time, Romeo pegs me as someone who would walk around Verona with a d**d phone all day. How else is he going to go to the House of Capulets without Lady Montague looking for him on Find My Friends?

  • 04
    Coriolanus: I promise I won't invade Rome. THREE DRINKS LATER
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    So much for a promise!

  • 05
    Luke Schleusener - 22m @lfschleusener.bsky.social Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil bl d makes civil hands unclean. Uncle Duke @uncleduke1969.bsky.social-Sh some sh is about to go down ALT Feb 5, 2024 at 11:00 PM Eric K Cheung For never was a story of more woe... "...than that of ducky and her flamingo" www
    via @uncleduke1969.bsky.social & @lfschleusener.bsky.social

    Talk about a Heated Rivalry!

  • 06
    Juliet Being able to carry on a two-minute conversation Is this love? 百科事典
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    Do you think Romeo and Juliet were actually in love, or that it was teenage infatuation instead? 

  • 07
    -"I guess that's your new best friend now, Santiago." -"Emphasis on 'iago', backstabber" -"I'm surprised you've read 'Othello'❞ THE PRENZISE -"What the hell is 'Othello? I'm calling you the parrot from 'Aladdin'"
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    Did Iago backstab anyone in Aladdin? 

  • 08
    Kathy Benjamin @KathyBenjamin 11h Regardless of the fact this is not what "introspection" means, holy sh_read a primary source from any period of history ever. Humanity has done little else! Marc Andreessen @pmarca - Mar 16 It is 100% true that great men and women of the past were not sitting around moaning about their feelings. I regret nothing. Kathy Benjamin @KathyBenjamin I cannot stop thinking about how dumb this take is. Now I want a "Hamlet" edit with none of that emo moaning about his fe
    via @KathyBenjamin, @pmarca, & @Caerynyvon
  • 09
    Juliet Capulet is in a relationship and it's complicated January 6, 1591 at 10:06am Romeo Montague likes this.
    via DutchBoeremeisie

    It's more than complicated! Also, was this play all happening in early January? What a way to start the new year!

  • 10
    Sophie McBain @SEMcBain Follow My daughter was given this creepy William Shakespeare doll and it has become her favourite toy. She cuddles "Shayspar" at night, brushes his gross old man hair & puts him on the potty. Do I just embrace this? Do I hide him before their bond is unbreakable?
    via @SEMcBain

    That is adorable, and they should never be seperated!

  • 11
    podcastwizard Follow But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and FRAGRANCE Juliette has ag n PARFUMS
    via podcastwizard
  • 12
    Joseph Fasano ❤ @Joseph_Fasano_ I think about this student's email every day. Professor Fasano, Like Hamlet, I have hesitated to act for reasons I cannot articulate even to myself. May I have an extension on the Hamlet paper? ALT
    via @Joseph_Fasano_

    At least he can tell that the student read the source material!

  • 13
    THE GRAVE OF ANNE THE WIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1556-1625 GOOD FREND FOR IESVS SAKE FORBEARE, TO DICC HE DVST ENCLOASED HEARE. BLESE BE MANY SPARES HES STONES AND CVRST BE HEY MOVES MY BONES. THE GRAVE OF THOMAS NASH FIRST HUSBAND OF ELIZABETH GRANDALIGHTER OF THE POET 1595-1647 INOS ANSEOR HALL CEISVOTNE SACE DIVARISOINS SAS CIT THE GRAVE OF THE POET WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 14
    > Moniza Hossain @moniza_hossain Why are we no longer making Shakespeare movies that look like this
    via @moniza_hossain

    Let's bring back Shakespeare with hot people!

  • 15
    The plot of pretty much every Shakespearean tragedy ODAYS SINCE OUR LAST MINOR MISCOMMUNICATION WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 16
    Nurse Jesu, what haste? can you not stay awhile? Do you not see that I am out of breath? JULIET How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath To say to me that thou art out of breath? arisefairsun: Appreciate this underrated dialogue. Juliet the sass master of Verona.
    via arisefairsun
  • 17
    octopus/caveman @OctopusCaveman Romeo: Juliet is the sun. Neil deGrasse Tyson: *loudly from the balcony* NO SHE ISN'T 12:29 PM - Aug 17, 2020 - Twitter Web App
    via @OctopusCaveman
  • 18
    mightymargaretofanjou Y'all can keep at it with that "Romeo and Juliet fell in love in five days how immature" but Macbeth went from no murder to yes murder in like one afternoon and I feel like one of those is a significantly bigger problem than the other thats-so-kailyn In his defense his wife triple dog dared him and called him a
    via mightymargaretofanjou & thats-so-kailyn
  • 19
    CAUTION TREES DON'T MOVE Macduff X Doubt
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 20
    Josh @shatterfront he was ahead of his time SHAKESPEARE QUOTE OF THE DAY An SSL error has occurred and a secure connection to the server cannot be made.
    via @shatterfront
  • 21
    Did you know? The longest word in Shakespeare's works is "honorificabilitudinatitatibus”. The word can be defined as "the state of being able to achieve honours". At 27 letters, it is the longest word in the English language to strictly alternate between consonants and vowels In Love's Labour's Lost two pedants converse in a mixture of Latin and florid English. Observing them, the comic rustic Costard says to the servant Moth: "O, they have lived long on the almsbasket of words. I marvel thy mas
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 22
    heroes-dont-fall row-of-captured... + Source: swim-two-birds justabarrelofmonkeys: cas-wants-the-dean: swim-two-birds: If you've never read Shakespeare's plays, you're missing out on some quality zingers. you DEMETRIUS Villain, what hast thou done? That which thou canst not undo. AARON CHIRON AARON Thou hast undone our mother. Villain, I have done thy mother. the first mom joke Can I just use VILLAIN I HAVE DONE THY MOTHER as my #1 insult forever
    via swim-two-birds, cas-wants-the-dean, justabarrelofmonkeys
  • 23
    What if he's your Romeo, not but you're his Juliet? Ouijaa.tumblr.com europeansdomusicalsbetter: journeyintonight: renkris: That means that you're his Rosaline and you survive the friggin' play.
    via europeansdomusicalsbetter, journeyintonight, & renkris
  • 24
    Dave Weigel @daveweigel This is a placebo. The real vaccine was given to Francis Bacon. obc NEWS ABC News @ABC - 5h *5: William Shakespeare, 81, becomes the second person to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech CO ID-19 vaccine, at University Hospital Coventry, England. abcn.ws/36Sq4GW PLEASE LEAVE WING CLC 7:24 AM - 08 Dec 20 Twitter for iPad
    via @ABC & @daveweige
  • 25
    NOW IS THE WINTER SALE $1 OF OUR DISCOUNT TENT
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 26
    But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
    via DutchBoeremeisie
  • 27
    forbidden lovers hypopyon @hypo_pyon romeow and mewliet
    via @hypo_pyon

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tragedy shakespeare Memes theater play macbeth romeo and juliet
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