| 2H4 V.i.71 | [Falstaff alone] I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in continual laughter |
| AC II.ii.116 | [Caesar to Antony, of Enobarbus] I do not much dislike the matter, but / The manner of his speech |
| AC II.v.54 | [Cleopatra to Messenger] Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear |
| AW I.iii.106 | [Steward to Countess, of Helena] Her matter was, she loved your son |
| AYL II.i.68 | [Duke Senior to First Lord, of Jaques] I love to cope him in these sullen fits, / For then he's full of matter |
| AYL III.v.137 | [Phebe to Silvius, of her letter] The matter's in my head and in my heart |
| AYL IV.i.67 | [Rosalind as Ganymede to Orlando] when you were gravelled for lack of matter ... for lovers lacking ... matter |
| AYL IV.i.73 | [Rosalind as Ganymede to Orlando, of a hypothetical wooing] she puts you to entreaty, and there begins new matter |
| AYL V.iii.40 | [Touchstone to Pages] there was no great matter in the ditty |
| AYL V.iv.182 | [Jaques to Jaques de Boys] out of these convertites / There is much matter to be heard and learned |
| CE IV.ii.42 | [Dromio of Syracuse to Adriana, of his master's arrest] I do not know the matter, he is 'rested on the case [i.e. what the dispute is about] |
| Cor III.iii.76 | [Sicinius to all, of Coriolanus] We need not put new matter to his charge |
| Cym V.v.243.1 | [Cymbeline to all] New matter still |
| H8 III.ii.21 | [Norfolk to Lord Chamberlain, of Wolsey] The King hath found / Matter against him |
| Ham II.ii.194 | [Polonius to Hamlet, referring to his reading] What is the matter, my lord? [interpreted by Hamlet as 'cause for concern' in the next line] |
| Ham II.ii.440 | [Hamlet to First Player] there were no sallets in the lines to make the matter savoury |
| Ham II.ii.95.2 | [Gertrude to Polonius] More matter, with less art |
| Ham III.ii.332 | [Hamlet to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] to the matter [i.e. to the point] |
| Ham IV.v.175 | [Laertes to all] This nothing's more than matter [i.e. this nonsense conveys more than sense would] |
| Ham IV.v.93 | [Claudius to Gertrude] of matter beggared |
| KL I.ii.64 | [Edmund to Gloucester, of the letter] If the matter were good |
| KL III.ii.81 | [Fool alone] When priests are more in word than matter |
| KL III.v.14 | [Edmund to Cornwall, of Gloucester's letter] If the matter of this paper be certain |
| KL IV.vi.175 | [disguised Edgar to all, of Lear] O matter and impertinency mixed |
| KL IV.vi.8 | [Gloucester to disguised Edgar] thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than thou didst |
| MA II.i.305 | [Beatrice to Don Pedro] I was born to speak all mirth and no matter |
| MA II.iii.212 | [Don Pedro to Leonato, of Beatrice and Benedick] when they hold one an opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter |
| MA III.i.54 | [Hero to Ursula, of Beatrice's wit] to her / All matter else seems weak |
| MM III.ii.46 | [Lucio to Pompey] What say'st thou to this tune, matter, and method? |
| RJ II.vi.30 | [Juliet to Romeo] Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, / Brags of his substance, not of ornament |
| RJ III.ii.83 | [Juliet to Nurse, of Romeo] Was ever book containing such vile matter / So fairly bound? |
| Sonn.86.14 | [of his friend] when your countenance filled up his line, / Then lacked I matter; that enfeebled mine |
| TC I.iii.10 | [Agamemnon to all] Nor ... is it matter new to us / That we come short of our suppose so far / That ... yet Troy walls stand |
| TC I.iii.71 | [Agamemnon to Ulysses] be't of less expect / That matter needless ... / Divide thy lips |
| TC II.iii.94 | [Nestor to Ulysses] Then will Ajax lack matter, if he have lost his argument |
| Tem II.i.90 | [Antonio to Sebastian, of Gonzalo] What impossible matter will he make easy next? |
| TG I.i.126 | [Proteus to Speed] open the matter in brief |
| TN III.iv.141 | [Fabian to Sir Toby and Maria, of Sir Andrew] More matter for a May morning! [i.e. holiday recreation] |
| TNK I.i.109.1 | [Third Queen to Emilia, of her first poor effort at expressing herself] sorrow wanting form / Is pressed with deeper matter |
| TNK IV.iii.6 | [Gaoler to Doctor, of his daughter] what broken piece of matter soe'er she's about [i.e. whatever she talks about disconnectedly] |
| TS I.i.248 | [Sly to Lord, of the play] A good matter, surely |
| WT IV.iv.199 | [Servant to Clown, of Autolycus' songs] some stretch-mouthed rascal would ... break a foul gap into the matter [i.e. insert into the song a gap for some bawdy element] |
| WT V.ii.60 | [Third Gentleman to all, of the tale] which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep |