From Shakespeare:
* "To be or not to be, that is the question." (Hamlet) - To exist or not to exist, that is the dilemma. This idiom captures the essence of existentialism.
* "All that glitters is not gold." (The Merchant of Venice) - Appearances can be deceiving.
* "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet) - The essence of something is more important than its name or label.
* "Brevity is the soul of wit." (Hamlet) - Conciseness is the key to intelligence.
* "A plague on both your houses!" (Romeo and Juliet) - A curse directed at both parties involved in a conflict.
* "To err is human, to forgive divine." (Pope Alexander's "An Essay on Criticism") - It is human to make mistakes, but only divine to forgive them.
* "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." (Macbeth) - Good and bad are often intertwined and easily confused.
* "What a piece of work is a man!" (Hamlet) - A statement expressing the complexity and wonder of human beings.
* "The course of true love never did run smooth." (A Midsummer Night's Dream) - Love is rarely straightforward and often encounters obstacles.
* "There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow." (Hamlet) - Even the smallest events are determined by fate.
From Other Works:
* "All for one, and one for all." (The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas) - A call for unity and mutual support.
* "A watched pot never boils." (An old proverb often cited in literature) - Time seems to pass slowly when you are eagerly awaiting something.
* "Let them eat cake." (Attributed to Marie Antoinette) - A phrase that symbolizes the indifference of the wealthy to the plight of the poor.
* "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." (Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck) - Even the most carefully planned actions can fail.
* "There's no place like home." (The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum) - A sentiment that emphasizes the importance of home and belonging.
* "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." (A common proverb, often cited in literature) - Even good intentions can lead to bad consequences.
* "Love is blind." (A common proverb, often cited in literature) - People in love tend to overlook their partner's flaws.
* "To err is human, to forgive divine." (Pope Alexander's "An Essay on Criticism") - It is human to make mistakes, but only divine to forgive them.
* "The pen is mightier than the sword." (Edward Bulwer-Lytton) - Words and ideas can have a greater impact than violence.
* "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, often quoted in literature) - Any significant undertaking can be accomplished by taking small, consistent steps.
These are just a few examples of famous idioms from literature. Many more exist, and their meanings and interpretations can vary depending on the context in which they are used.