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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

“To be an artist at all is like living in Switzerland during a world war. To be an artist in Zurich, in 1917, implies a degree of self-absorption that would have glazed over the eyes of Narcissus.”

World War Self Eye Artist Degrees War Of The Worlds Switzerland Absorption Self Absorption Narcissus Zurich

Book:Travesties

Source: Travesties

“If rationality were the criterion for things being allowed to exist, the world would be one gigantic field of soya beans!”

Ifs World Would Be Fields Rationality Criteria Beans Jumpers

Book:Jumpers

Source: Jumpers

“If you took away everything in the world that had to be invented, there'd be nothing left except a lot of people getting rained on.”

People Ifs World Left

Author:Tom Stoppard

“One of the nice things about the world of filmmaking is that you make friends in the business.”

World Nice Filmmaking Nice Things

Author:Tom Stoppard

“I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon.”

Ifs World Inspirational Writing Believe Stills Term Media Weapons Aim Journalism Journalist Changing The World Short Term I Still Believe News Media

Book:Tom Stoppard in Conversation

Source: Tom Stoppard in Conversation

“Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.”

World Giving Art America Belief Imagination Modern Objects Skills Criticism Critics My Imagination Modern World Baskets Modern Art Picnics Craftsmanship Contemporary Art Picnic Baskets

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Words... They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good any more... I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little or make a poem which children will speak for you when you're dead.”

Ifs Thinking World Looks Children Littles Order Speak Deserve Standing Sacred Chaos Corners Innocent Bridges Precise Power Of Words Describing Nudge Incomprehension

Book:Arcadia

Source: Arcadia

“I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you might nudge the world a little or make a poem that children will speak for you when you are dead.”

Ifs Thinking World Writing Children Littles Might Order Speak Deserve Sacred Power Of Words Nudge Incomprehension

Book:Arcadia

Source: Arcadia

“They loved, and quarreled, and made up, and loved, and fought, and were true to each other and untrue. She made him the happiest man in the whole world and the most wretched, and after a few years she died, and then, when he was thirty, he died, too. But by that time Catullus had invented the love poem.”

Men World Years Made Whole Died Whole World Thirty Wretched Love Poems Untrue Happiest Man

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Death followed by eternity the worst of both worlds. It is a terrible thought.”

World Worst Terrible Eternity

Book:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Source: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

“For all the compasses in the world, there's only one direction, and time is its only measure.”

World Compass One Direction Rosencrantz And Guildenstern

Author:Tom Stoppard

“Words are sacred. If you get the right ones in the right order you can nudge the world a little.”

Ifs World Littles Order Sacred Power Of Words Nudge Incomprehension Nudge Nudge

Book:Arcadia

Source: Arcadia

“Happiness is equilibrium. Shift your weight. Equilibrium is pragmatic. You have to get everything into proportion. You compensate, rebalance yourself so that you maintain your angle to your world. When the world shifts, you shift.”

World Balance Weight Proportion Angle Equilibrium Pragmatic

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

Popular Topics

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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