Quotes by Dramatist | Beyond Motive 16/74

top of page

Quotes by Dramatist

"Shining through tears, like April suns in showers, that labour to overcome the cloud that loads 'em."

"Shining through tears, like April suns in showers, that labour to overcome the cloud that loads 'em."

Thomas Otway, English Dramatist

15

"A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it."

"A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it."

Zora Neale Hurston, American Dramatist

15

"The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, that in politics there are no people, only ideas; no feelings, only interests. In politics, you don't kill a man, you remove an obstacle, that's all."

"The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, that in politics there are no people, only ideas; no feelings, only interests. In politics, you don't kill a man, you remove an obstacle, that's all."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Politics, Murder, Idea, Obstacle

15

"Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful."

"Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Virtue, Goodness

15

"So long as we have failed to eliminate any of the causes of human despair, we do not have the right to try to eliminate those means by which man tries to cleanse himself of despair."

"So long as we have failed to eliminate any of the causes of human despair, we do not have the right to try to eliminate those means by which man tries to cleanse himself of despair."

Antonin Artaud, French Dramatist

Cause, Causes, Despair, Man, Right

15

"The women who inspired this play deserved to be smacked across the head with a meat ax and that, I flatter myself, is exactly what I smacked them with."

"The women who inspired this play deserved to be smacked across the head with a meat ax and that, I flatter myself, is exactly what I smacked them with."

Clare Boothe Luce, American Dramatist

Woman, Women, Play

15

"When a woman isn't beautiful, people always say, 'You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair.'"

"When a woman isn't beautiful, people always say, 'You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair.'"

Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist

People, Eyes, Hair, Woman

15

"Justice in the extreme is often unjust."

"Justice in the extreme is often unjust."

Jean Racine, French Dramatist

Extreme, Justice

15

"Some grief shows much of love,But much of grief shows still some want of wit."

"Some grief shows much of love,But much of grief shows still some want of wit."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Grief, Truth, Regret, Wisdom

15

"Unfortunately in this world of ours, each person views things through a certain medium, which prevents his seeing them in the same light as others."

"Unfortunately in this world of ours, each person views things through a certain medium, which prevents his seeing them in the same light as others."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Perception, Perspective, People, Difference, Reality

15

"I am less to you than your ivory Hermes or your silver Faun. You will like them always. How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know, now, that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be, one loses everything. Your picture has taught me that. Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right. Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself."

"I am less to you than your ivory Hermes or your silver Faun. You will like them always. How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know, now, that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be, one loses everything. Your picture has taught me that. Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right. Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Youth, Self, Suicide, Beauty

15

"It is a good deed to forget a poor joke."

"It is a good deed to forget a poor joke."

Brendan Behan, Irish Dramatist

Deed, Forget, Poor

15

"Men are wise in proportion not to their experience but to their capacity for experience."

"Men are wise in proportion not to their experience but to their capacity for experience."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Wisdom, Experience, Learning, Life

15

"I don't ask for your pity but just your understanding - no not even that -no. Just for your recognition of me in you and the enemy time in us all."

"I don't ask for your pity but just your understanding - no not even that -no. Just for your recognition of me in you and the enemy time in us all."

Tennessee Williams, American Dramatist

Awareness, Recognition, Understanding, Empathy, Connection

15

"You instinctively display the greatest virtue, or rather the chief defect, of us eccentric Parisians- that is, you assume the vices you have not, and conceal the virtues you possess."

"You instinctively display the greatest virtue, or rather the chief defect, of us eccentric Parisians- that is, you assume the vices you have not, and conceal the virtues you possess."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Character, Virtue, Vice, Identity

15

"Man does not steal, he conquers."

"Man does not steal, he conquers."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Strength, Conquest, Power, Action

15

"In fine, nothing is said now that has not been said before."

"In fine, nothing is said now that has not been said before."

Jean Racine, French Dramatist

15

"Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time."

"Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time."

Jules Renard, French Dramatist

15

"The day will happen whether or not you get up."

"The day will happen whether or not you get up."

John Ciardi, English Dramatist

15

"As freely as the firmament embraces the world, or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, so mercy must encircle both friend and foe."

"As freely as the firmament embraces the world, or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, so mercy must encircle both friend and foe."

Friedrich Schiller, German Dramatist

Friendship, Friend, Mercy, Sun, World

15

"That vision of a common culture is now simply a remote wistfulness."

"That vision of a common culture is now simply a remote wistfulness."

Dennis Potter, British Dramatist

Vision, Culture, Now

15

"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

15

"No praying, it spoils business."

"No praying, it spoils business."

Thomas Otway, English Dramatist

15

"God help those who do not help themselves."

"God help those who do not help themselves."

Wilson Mizner, American Dramatist

15

"A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind."

"A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind."

Eugene Ionesco, French Dramatist

Art, Work, Adventure, Mind

15

"I came down to the living room one day and my wife was standing in the living room. It wasn't an illusion. I saw her out of the corner of my eye. The moment I saw her, she vanished."

"I came down to the living room one day and my wife was standing in the living room. It wasn't an illusion. I saw her out of the corner of my eye. The moment I saw her, she vanished."

Hugh Leonard, Irish Dramatist

Wife, Day, Eye, Illusion

15

"When people are ashamed they hold aloof, above all from those nearest to them, and are unreserved with strangers."

"When people are ashamed they hold aloof, above all from those nearest to them, and are unreserved with strangers."

Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist

Society, Shame, Social, Behavior, Distance

15

"To marry the Irish is to look for poverty."

"To marry the Irish is to look for poverty."

J. P. Donleavy, American Dramatist

15

"And nothing is, but what is not."

"And nothing is, but what is not."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Paradox, Truth, Wisdom, Life, Power

15

"On their own merits modest men are dumb."

"On their own merits modest men are dumb."

George Colman, English Dramatist

15

"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

15

"I promise to be an excellent husband, but give me a wife who, like the moon, will not appear every day in my sky."

"I promise to be an excellent husband, but give me a wife who, like the moon, will not appear every day in my sky."

Anton Chekhov, Russian Dramatist

Wife, HusbDay, Moon, Promise

15

"A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier."

"A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier."

Tom Stoppard, English Dramatist

15

"O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!"

"O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!"

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

15

"Oh, you weak, beautiful people who give up with such grace. What you need is someone to take hold of you - gently, with love, and hand your life back to you."

"Oh, you weak, beautiful people who give up with such grace. What you need is someone to take hold of you - gently, with love, and hand your life back to you."

Tennessee Williams, American Dramatist

Life, Love, People, Grace

15

"A golf course is the epitome of all that is purely transitory in the universe; a space not to dwell in, but to get over as quickly as possible."

"A golf course is the epitome of all that is purely transitory in the universe; a space not to dwell in, but to get over as quickly as possible."

Jean Giraudoux, French Dramatist

Golf, Space, Universe

15

"Old men are dangerous: it doesn't matter to them what is going to happen to the world."

"Old men are dangerous: it doesn't matter to them what is going to happen to the world."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Men, Old, World

15

"If Milosevic is to be tried, he has to be tried by a proper court, an impartial, properly constituted court which has international respect."

"If Milosevic is to be tried, he has to be tried by a proper court, an impartial, properly constituted court which has international respect."

Harold Pinter, English Dramatist

15

"But men are men the best sometimes forget."

"But men are men the best sometimes forget."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Forgetting, Truth, Life, Wisdom, Regret

15

"Weak? Oh, I am sick of hearing that phrase. Sick of using it about others. Weak? Do you really think, that it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations that it requires strength, strength and courage, to yield to. To stake all one's life on a single moment, to risk everything on one throw, whether the stake be power or pleasure, I care not-there is no weakness in that. There is a horrible, terrible courage. I had that courage."

"Weak? Oh, I am sick of hearing that phrase. Sick of using it about others. Weak? Do you really think, that it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations that it requires strength, strength and courage, to yield to. To stake all one's life on a single moment, to risk everything on one throw, whether the stake be power or pleasure, I care not-there is no weakness in that. There is a horrible, terrible courage. I had that courage."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Philosophy, Weakness, Temptation, Courage, Strength

15

"As I love the name of honour more than I fear death."

"As I love the name of honour more than I fear death."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Honor, Truth, Power, Life

15

"Business? It's quite simple; it's other people's money."

"Business? It's quite simple; it's other people's money."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Money, Business, People

15

"Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman, but believing what he read made him mad."

"Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman, but believing what he read made him mad."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

Gentleman, Reading

15

"What do I fear? Myself? There's none else by.Richard loves Richard; that is, I and I."

"What do I fear? Myself? There's none else by.Richard loves Richard; that is, I and I."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Wisdom, Truth, Regret, Power, Today

15

"All for one and one for all."

"All for one and one for all."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Unity, Loyalty, Solidarity, Brotherhood

15

"Men from children nothing differ."

"Men from children nothing differ."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Equality, Truth, Power, Life

15

"They are the books, the arts, the academes,That show, contain and nourish all the world."

"They are the books, the arts, the academes,That show, contain and nourish all the world."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Life, Truth, Power, Wisdom

15

"Each new mornNew widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrowsStrike heaven on the face, that it resoundsAs if it felt with Scotland, and yelled outLike syllable of dolor."

"Each new mornNew widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrowsStrike heaven on the face, that it resoundsAs if it felt with Scotland, and yelled outLike syllable of dolor."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Sorrow, Regret, Truth, Wisdom, Life

15

"I wish you all the joy that you can wish."

"I wish you all the joy that you can wish."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Happiness, Truth, Life, Wisdom

15

"Anybody can be good in the country. There are no temptations there."

"Anybody can be good in the country. There are no temptations there."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Country, Temptations

15

bottom of page