| 1H6 II.iii.9 | [Countess alone] Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears, / To give their censure of these rare reports |
| 1H6 V.iii.65 | [Suffolk to himself, of Margaret] Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak |
| 2H4 II.iii.65 | [Northumberland to Lady Percy and Lady Northumberland] Fain would I go to meet the Archbishop |
| 2H4 II.iv.12 | [Francis to Drawer] Mistress Tearsheet would fain hear some music |
| 2H6 III.ii.141 | [King to all, of dead Gloucester] Fain would I go to chafe his paly lips |
| AW II.v.81 | [Helena to Bertram] I ... most fain would steal / What law does vouch mine own |
| AW V.iii.115 | [King to Bertram] Thou ... makest conjectural fears to come into me / Which I would fain shut out |
| AYL I.ii.149 | [Duke Frederick to Rosalind and Celia, of Orlando] In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him |
| AYL III.iii.42 | [Jaques to himself, of Touchstone and Audrey arranging to be married] I would fain see this meeting |
| CE III.i.66 | [Angelo to Antipholus of Ephesus, of Antipholus' house] Here is neither cheer, sir, nor welcome. We would fain have either |
| E3 III.iii.138 | [Philip to King John] These English fain would spend the time in words |
| H5 I.i.85 | [Canterbuty to Ely, of King Henry] there was not time enough to hear, / As I perceived his grace would fain have done / The severals and unhidden passages / Of his true titles |
| H5 III.ii.114 | [Jamy to Fluellen and Macmorris] I wad full fain hear some question 'tween you tway |
| H5 III.vii.81 | [Constable to all] I would fain be about the ears of the English |
| H5 IV.vii.156 | [Fluellen to King Henry] I would fain see the man that has but two legs that shall find himself aggriefed at this glove |
| H8 II.i.24 | [First Gentleman to Second Gentleman, of Buckingham] All these accused him strongly, which he fain / Would have flung from him |
| Ham II.ii.131 | [Polonius to Claudius, of being thought faithful and honourable] I would fain prove so |
| Ham II.ii.153 | [Polonius to Claudius and Gertrude, of whether there was a time when he got things wrong] I would fain know that |
| Ham III.ii.236 | [First Player as King to his Queen] fain I would beguile / The tedious day with sleep |
| Ham IV.vii.190 | [Laertes to Claudius] I have a speech o'fire that fain would blaze |
| JC I.ii.237 | [Casca to Brutus and Cassius, of Caesar being offered the crown] to my thinking, he would fain have had it |
| KL I.ii.65 | [Edmund to Gloucester, of the handwriting in Edgar's letter] If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear it were his; but in respect of that I would fain think it were not |
| KL I.iv.176 | [Fool to Lear] I would fain learn to lie |
| KL I.iv.28 | [disguised Kent to Lear] you have that in your countenance which I would fain call master |
| LLL V.ii.372 | [Rosaline to Berowne] When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink |
| LLL V.ii.741 | [King to Princess] the mourning brow of progeny / Forbid the smiling courtesy of love / The holy suit which fain it would convince |
| MA II.i.340 | [Don Pedro to Claudio and Leonato, of Beatrice and Benedick] I would fain have it a match |
| MA III.v.28 | [Leonato to Dogberry and Verges] I would fain know what you have to say |
| MA V.i.122 | [Claudio to Benedick] We ... are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away |
| Mac V.iii.28 | [Macbeth alone] breath / Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not |
| MM V.i.120 | [Duke to Isabella] I know you'd fain be gone |
| MM V.i.15 | [Duke to Friar Peter] outward courtesies would fain proclaim / Favours that keep within |
| MM V.i.21 | [Isabella to Duke] Vail your regard / Upon a wronged - I would fain have said, a maid |
| MW II.ii.141 | [Bardolph to Falstaff] there's one Master Brook below would fain speak with you |
| Oth II.iii.28 | [Iago to Cassio] here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a measure to the health of black Othello |
| Oth IV.i.165 | [Iago to Cassio] I would very fain speak with you |
| R3 I.iv.275 | [Second Murderer alone] How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands / Of this most grievous murder! |
| R3 I.iv.74 | [Clarence to Keeper] My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep |
| R3 III.i.29 | [Hastings to Prince Edward] The tender Prince / Would fain have come with me to meet your grace |
| RJ II.ii.88 | [Juliet to Romeo] Fain would I dwell on form - fain, fain deny / What I have spoke |
| RJ II.iv.197 | [Nurse to Romeo] there is a nobleman in town, one Paris, that would fain lay knife aboard |
| RJ III.ii.109 | [Juliet to Nurse] Some word there was, worser than Tybalt's death, / That murdered me. I would forget it fain |
| TC III.i.133 | [Paris to Helen and Pandarus] I would fain have armed today |
| TC V.iv.4 | [Thersites alone, of DIomedes and Troilus] I would fain see them meet |
| Tem I.i.63 | [Gonzalo alone] The wills above be done, but I would fain die a dry death |
| TG II.i.165 | [Speed to Valentine] I am one that am nourished by my victuals, and would fain have meat |
| Tim IV.iii.502 | [Timon to Flavius] How fain would I have hated all mankind |
| TNK II.iii.30 | [Gaoler's Daughter alone, of Palamon] I would fain enjoy him |
| TNK III.vi.60.1 | [Palamon to Arcite] You would fain be at that fight |
| TNK V.ii.85.2 | [Daughter to Wooer] O sir, you would fain be nibbling |
| TS II.i.74 | [Petruchio to Gremio] I would fain be doing |
| Ven.221 | [of Venus] And now she weeps, and now she fain would speak |
| WT V.ii.87 | [Third Gentleman to others, of Perdita] she did, with an ‘Alas!'’, I would fain say bleed tears |