Quotes by Dramatist | Beyond Motive 15/68

top of page

Quotes by Dramatist

"I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity."

"I think age is a very high price to pay for maturity."

Tom Stoppard, English Dramatist

4

"There is no such thing as chance; and what seem to us merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny."

"There is no such thing as chance; and what seem to us merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny."

Friedrich Schiller, German Dramatist

Accident, Chance, Destiny

4

"Great men may jest with saints 'tis wit in them But in the less foul profanation."

"Great men may jest with saints 'tis wit in them But in the less foul profanation."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Wit, Truth, Wisdom, Power, Life

4

"Women have no appreciation of good looks-at least, good women have not."

"Women have no appreciation of good looks-at least, good women have not."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Society, Women, Beauty, Appreciation, Judgment

4

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

4

"One half of my life has put the other half in the grave."

"One half of my life has put the other half in the grave."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"I respect faith, but doubt is what gives you an education."

"I respect faith, but doubt is what gives you an education."

Wilson Mizner, American Dramatist

Education, Faith, Doubt, Respect

4

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

Hugh Leonard, Irish Dramatist

4

"Clinton's hands remain incredibly clean, don't they, and Tony Blair's smile remains as wide as ever. I view these guises with profound contempt."

"Clinton's hands remain incredibly clean, don't they, and Tony Blair's smile remains as wide as ever. I view these guises with profound contempt."

Harold Pinter, English Dramatist

Contempt, Smile

4

"Love's like the measles - all the worse when it comes late in life."

"Love's like the measles - all the worse when it comes late in life."

Douglas William Jerrold, English Dramatist

4

"It takes good memory to keep up a lie."

"It takes good memory to keep up a lie."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"In the service of Caesar, everything is legitimate."

"In the service of Caesar, everything is legitimate."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"Love is a tyrant sparing none."

"Love is a tyrant sparing none."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too."

"Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too."

Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist

Difference, Doctors, Lawyers

4

"If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be."

"If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be."

John Heywood, English Dramatist

Experience, Circumstances, Force, May

4

"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast."

"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

4

"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."

"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."

Jean Racine, French Dramatist

4

"Disgrace does not consist in the punishment, but in the crime."

"Disgrace does not consist in the punishment, but in the crime."

Vittorio Alfieri, Italian Dramatist

Crime, Disgrace, Punishment

4

"Politicians talk themselves red, white, and blue in the face."

"Politicians talk themselves red, white, and blue in the face."

Clare Boothe Luce, American Dramatist

Politicians, Talk

4

"Flee an enemy who knows your weakness."

"Flee an enemy who knows your weakness."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

Enemy, Weakness

4

"We're actors. We're the opposite of people."

"We're actors. We're the opposite of people."

Tom Stoppard, English Dramatist

4

"Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression."

"Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression."

Dodie Smith, English Dramatist

Deed, Deeds, Depression

4

"For all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams."

"For all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams."

Pedro Calderon, Spanish Dramatist

Dream, Dreams, Life

4

"There are different kinds of artists and very often, I'll be very frank with you, I wish I were a different kind."

"There are different kinds of artists and very often, I'll be very frank with you, I wish I were a different kind."

Wole Soyinka, Nigerian Dramatist

Artist, Artists

4

"I know not whether laws be right Or whether laws be wrong All that we know who lie in gaol Is that the wall is strong And that each day is like a year A year whose days are long."

"I know not whether laws be right Or whether laws be wrong All that we know who lie in gaol Is that the wall is strong And that each day is like a year A year whose days are long."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Society, Law, Prison, Time, Injustice

4

"The most dangerous word in any human tongue is the word for brother. It's inflammatory."

"The most dangerous word in any human tongue is the word for brother. It's inflammatory."

Tennessee Williams, American Dramatist

Brother, Tongue, Word

4

"Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads."

"Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Books, Censorship

4

"That which is so universal as death must be a benefit."

"That which is so universal as death must be a benefit."

Friedrich Schiller, German Dramatist

4

"I was brought up in the War. I was an adolescent in the Second World War. And I did witness in London a great deal of the Blitz."

"I was brought up in the War. I was an adolescent in the Second World War. And I did witness in London a great deal of the Blitz."

Harold Pinter, English Dramatist

War, London, World, World war

4

"I'm a much nicer person since my wife died. I found out what pain is, so on that level I'm much nicer."

"I'm a much nicer person since my wife died. I found out what pain is, so on that level I'm much nicer."

Hugh Leonard, Irish Dramatist

4

"They believe that nothing will happen because they have closed their doors."

"They believe that nothing will happen because they have closed their doors."

Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian Dramatist

4

"There are no perfectly honorable men, but every true man has one main point of honor and a few minor ones."

"There are no perfectly honorable men, but every true man has one main point of honor and a few minor ones."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Morality, Honor, Truth, Men, Ethics

4

"This dark brightness that falls from the stars."

"This dark brightness that falls from the stars."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"I have nothing to declare except my genuis."

"I have nothing to declare except my genuis."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

4

"It is a woman's business to get married as soon as possible, and a man'sto keep unmarried as long as he can."

"It is a woman's business to get married as soon as possible, and a man'sto keep unmarried as long as he can."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Society, Marriage, Gender, Expectation, Relationship

4

"I am sorry to have to introduce the subject of Christmas into these articles. It is an indecent subject; a cruel, gluttonous subject; a drunken, disorderly subject; a wasteful, disastrous, subject; a wicked, cadging, lying, filthy, blashphemous, and demoralizing subject. Christmas is forced on a reluctant and disgusted nation by the shopkeepers and the press: on its own merits it would wither and shrivel in the fiery breath of universal hatred; and any one who looked back to it would be turned into a pillar of greasy sausages."

"I am sorry to have to introduce the subject of Christmas into these articles. It is an indecent subject; a cruel, gluttonous subject; a drunken, disorderly subject; a wasteful, disastrous, subject; a wicked, cadging, lying, filthy, blashphemous, and demoralizing subject. Christmas is forced on a reluctant and disgusted nation by the shopkeepers and the press: on its own merits it would wither and shrivel in the fiery breath of universal hatred; and any one who looked back to it would be turned into a pillar of greasy sausages."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Society, Christmas, Disorder, Disgust, Tradition

4

"A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does NOT triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him."

"A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does NOT triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Morality, Tragedy, Virtue, Human, Defeat

4

"As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."

"As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

God, Gods, Boys, Flies

4

"How delicious is pleasure after torment!"

"How delicious is pleasure after torment!"

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

4

"Deed, not words shall speak me."

"Deed, not words shall speak me."

John Fletcher, English Dramatist

4

"If you cry 'forward', you must without fail make plain in what direction to go."

"If you cry 'forward', you must without fail make plain in what direction to go."

Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist

4

"Modern poverty is not the poverty that was blest in the Sermon on the Mount."

"Modern poverty is not the poverty that was blest in the Sermon on the Mount."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Poverty, Spiritual, Faith, Values

4

"I wish you would tell me your secret. To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable."

"I wish you would tell me your secret. To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Reflective, Youth, Secrets, Exercise, Respectability

4

"Don't be led astray into the paths of virtue."

"Don't be led astray into the paths of virtue."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Moral, Virtue, Morality, Mistake, Advice

4

"Now is the winter of our discontent."

"Now is the winter of our discontent."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Discontent, Now, Winter

4

"I wrote when I did not know life;now that I know life, I have no more to say."

"I wrote when I did not know life;now that I know life, I have no more to say."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Life, Experience, Silence

4

"Luxury is the wolf at the door and its fangs are the vanities and conceits germinated by success. When an artist learns this, he knows where the danger is."

"Luxury is the wolf at the door and its fangs are the vanities and conceits germinated by success. When an artist learns this, he knows where the danger is."

Tennessee Williams, American Dramatist

Success, Artist, Danger, Luxury

4

"A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her."

"A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Love, Man, Woman

4

"We love peace, but not peace at any price."

"We love peace, but not peace at any price."

Douglas William Jerrold, English Dramatist

4

"Life cannot be written, life can only be lived."

"Life cannot be written, life can only be lived."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Philosophical, Life, Writing, Experience, Expression

4

bottom of page