Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust… — William Shakespeare | Printable Wall Art

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

Words by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) — Playwright and poet, author of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.

About this quote

This quote outlines three distinct paths to high status or success. One may inherit social standing through royalty or privilege, earn it through personal effort and determination, or have responsibility forced upon them by unexpected circumstances. It reflects on how fate, merit, and birth shape a person's life and legacy.

Written by William Shakespeare for his comedy Twelfth Night, composed around 1601. In the play, the steward Malvolio reads these lines aloud from a forged love letter, believing they refer to his own potential rise in social rank.

People often hang this print in a home office or study to inspire ambition, self-improvement, and perseverance.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.