Henry IV Pt. I

King

He was but as the cukoo is in June,

Heard, not regarded; seen, but with such eyes

As, sick and blunted with community,

Afford no extraordinary gaze,

Such as is bent on sun-like majesty

When it shines seldom in admiring eyes,

But rather drows’d and hung their eyelids down,

Slept in his face, and render’d such aspect

As cloudy men use to their adverseries,

Being with his presence glutted, gorg’d, and full.

And in that very line, Harry, standest thou,

For thou hast lost thy princely privilege

WIth vile participation. Not an eye

But is a-weary of thy common sight,

Save mine, which hath desir’d to see thee more,

Which now doth that I would not have it do,

Make blind itself with foolish tenderness.

III.ii.75-91

The Merchant of Venice

Portia

…Beshrew your eyes!

They have o’erlooked me and divided me;

One half of me is yours, the other half yours–

Mine own I would say; but if mine then yours.

And so all yours!

III.ii.14-18

King John

Lewis

…in her eye I find

A wonder or a wondrous miracle,

The shadow of myself formed in her eye,

Which, being but the shadow of the son,

Becomes a sun, and makes your son a shadow.

I do protest I never loved myself

Till now infixed I beheld myself,

Drawn in the flattering table of her eye.

II.i.496-503

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Bottom

The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was.

IV.1.209-10

Romeo and Juliet

Friar

…Young men’s love then lies

Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes.

II.iii.67-8

Richard II

Richard

Mine eyes are full of tears; I cannot see.

And yet salt water blinds them not so much

But they can see a sort of traitors here.

Nay, if I turn mine eyes upon myself,

I find myself a traitor with the rest;

for I have given here my soul’s consent

T’undeck the pompous body of a king;

Made glory base, a sovereignty a slave,

Proud majesty a subject, state a peasant.

IV.i.244-252

Love’s Labours Lost

Berowne

Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain

Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain:

As, painfully to pore upon a book,

To seek the light of truth, while truth the while

Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look.

Light seeking light doth light of light beguile;

So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,

Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.

Study me how to please the eye indeed,

By fixing it upon a fairer eye,

Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,

And give him light that it was blinded by.

Act I.i, 72-83

The Comedy of Errors

Luciana

It is a fault that springeth from your eye.

Antipholus S.

For gazing on your beams, fair sun, being by.

Luciana

Gaze where you should, and that will clear your sight.

Antipholus S.

As good to wink, sweet love, as look on night.

Luciana

Why call it love? Call my sister so.

Antipholus S.

Thy sister’s sister.

Luciana

That’s my sister.

Antipholus S.

No;

It is thyself, mine own self’s better part;

Mine eye’s clear eye, my dear heart’s dearer heart;

My food, my fortune, and my sweet hope’s aim;

My sole earth’s heaven, and my heaven’s claim.

Act III.2, ll. 55-64

Richard III

Anne

Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.

Richard

Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine.

I.ii., 48-9

Titus Andronicus

Marcus

Come, let us go and make thy father blind,

For such a sight will blind a father’s eye.

One hour’s storm will drown the fragrant meads;

What will whole months of tears thy father’s eyes?

II.4, 52-55