---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some are born great, some achieve…"
description: "\"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.\" — William Shakespeare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg"
---

#  Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have…

![“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg)

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

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Greatness can be innate, earned, or imposed by circumstances, highlighting different paths to prominence.

**In simple terms:** Greatness comes from birth, effort, or circumstance.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and adapt to your source of greatness.

Themes

identity ambition fate social status

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

literary motivational

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- political power
- personal development
- leadership challenges

Key Concepts

nature vs nurture social mobility role of circumstance

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you feel your greatness is self-made or given?
- How do you handle expectations placed on you?

A Different Perspective

Not all imposed greatness leads to fulfillment; external expectations may clash with personal values.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-greatness/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/)

## Related quotes

> [“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Your fate awaits you. Accept it in body and spirit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Some are born great,some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrusted upon them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russyb/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-3/)

Russyb

> [Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thus upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some are born great, others achieve greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-others-achieve-greatness/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Some are born great. Some achieve greatness and some think themselves to be great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-think-themselves/)

[Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/)

> [Some people are born great and some have greatness thrust upon them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/some-people-are-born-great-and-some-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them/)

[Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/)

> [Be not afraid of greatness. Some people are born great, some achieve it, others have it thrust upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-not-afraid-of-greatness-some-people-are-born-great-some-achieve-it/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Some people are born great. Some people achieve greatness and others¦ have greatness thrust upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-are-born-great-some-people-achieve-greatness-and-others/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ “\[To my enemy:\] Some are great, some are born great, some have greatness thrust upon them! And then there's you.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-dipwipple/to-my-enemy-some-are-great-some-are-born-great-some-have-greatness/)

Reginald Dipwipple

> [“Some are great. Some are born great. Some have greatness thrust upon them. And then there's you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-dipwipple/some-are-great-some-are-born-great-some-have-greatness-thrust-upon/)

Reginald Dipwipple

> [Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-very-few-have-excellence/)

[John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/)

> [Some have greatness thrust upon them, but not lately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-dane/some-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-but-not-lately/)

[Frank Dane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-dane/)

> [Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-may-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-very-few-have/)

[John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/)

> [Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-not-afraid-of-greatness-some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-not-afraid-of-greatness-some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by William Shakespeare

> [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

[Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Shakespeare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-4/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-4/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/william-shakespeare-4_achieve_some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatne_1025169.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” — William Shakespeare",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William Shakespeare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Some are born great, some achieve...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-4/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/some-are-born-great-some-achieve-greatness-and-some-have-greatness-4/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
