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Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard Quotes

Playwright

Tom Stoppard is a renowned British playwright, born on July 3, 1937. His works are known for their witty dialogue and complex structure, with notable plays including 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and 'The Real Thing'. Stoppard has received multiple Tony Awards and Olivier Awards for his contributions to theatre.

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All Ifs Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Writing People Thinking Knows Play Arcadia World Art Men Two Way Giving Mean Wells I Can Feels Kind Littles

Famous Tom Stoppard Quotes

“Fifty-five crystal spheres geared to God's crankshaft is my idea of a satisfying universe. I can't think of anything more trivial than quarks, quasars, big bangs and black holes.”

Thinking I Can Ideas Bigs Universe Black Five Holes Fifty Satisfying Spheres Bangs Crystals Black Hole Arcadia Quarks Quasars

Book:Tom Stoppard: Plays

Source: Tom Stoppard: Plays

“I can't remember what my first script was.”

Firsts I Can Remember Scripts

Author:Tom Stoppard

“From as long as, literally as far back as I can remember I've liked puns, word jokes, I can literally recall looking at a comic at the age of six or seven and I remember what I enjoyed and what it was precisely and how the joke worked.”

Long I Can Age Remember Six Jokes Seven Comic Enjoyed Birthday Recalls 60th Birthday Pun

Author:Tom Stoppard

“If knowledge isn't self-knowledge it isn't doing much, mate. Is the universe expanding? Is it contracting? Is it standing on one leg and singing 'When Father Painted the Parlour'? Leave me out. I can expand my universe without you. 'She walks into beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies, and all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes.”

Ifs I Can Self Eye Night Universe Father Dark Walks Sky Singing Aspect Standing Legs Mates Self Knowledge Her Eyes Expanding Leaving Me Without You Contracting Starry Sky

Book:Tom Stoppard: Plays

Source: Tom Stoppard: Plays

“Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? There must have been one. A moment. In childhood. When it first occurred to you that you don’t go on forever. It must have been shattering, stamped into one’s memory. And yet, I can’t remember it.”

Firsts Has Beens I Can Moments Remember Memories Forever Childhood Goes On Shattering Rosencrantz And Guildenstern

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Comparing what we're looking for misses the point. It's wanting to know that makes us matter. Otherwise we're going out the way we came in. That's why you can't believe in the afterlife, Valentine. Believe in the after, by all means, but not the life. Believe in God, the soul, the spirit, the infinite, believe in angels if you like, but not in the great celestial get-together for an exchange of views. If the answers are in the back of the book I can wait, but what a drag. Better to struggle on knowing that failure is final.”

Source: Arcadia

“The trouble is, I can't find a part of myself where you're not important. I write in order to be worth your while and to finance the way I want to live with you. Not the way you want to live. The way I want to live with you. Without you I wouldn't care. I'd eat tinned spaghetti and put on yesterday's clothes. But as it is I change my socks, and make money, and tart up Brodie's unspeakable drivel into speakable drivel so he can be an author too, like me.”

Way Want Life Writing I Can Important Care Order Trouble Clothes Yesterday Like Me Finance Making Money Without You Sock Unspeakable Spaghetti Tarts Drivel

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I don't think I can be expected to take seriously any game which takes less than three days to reach its conclusion.”

Thinking I Can Three Games Sports Expected Conclusion

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I write fiction because it's a way of making statements I can disown.”

Way Writing I Can Fiction Statements

Book:Tom Stoppard in Conversation

Source: Tom Stoppard in Conversation

“I can put two and two together, you know. Do not think you are dealing with a man who has lost his grapes.”

Thinking Knows Men I Can Two Together Lost Work Grapes

Author:Tom Stoppard

About the Author

Born: July 3, 1937
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 312

Related Topics

Ifs Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Writing People Thinking Knows Play Arcadia World Art Men Two Way Giving Mean Wells I Can Feels Kind Littles

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are DeadRelated source material

ArcadiaRelated source material

The Invention of LoveRelated source material

Tom Stoppard in ConversationRelated source material

JumpersRelated source material

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are DeadRelated source material

The Real ThingRelated source material

Tom Stoppard: PlaysRelated source material

Lord Malquist and Mr. Moon: A NovelRelated source material

Tom Stoppard Plays 5: The Real Thing; Night & Day; Hapgood; Indian Ink; ArcadiaRelated source material

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