Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

Pierre Corneille Playwright

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: France
  • Born: Jun 6, 1606
  • Died: Oct 1, 1684

Pierre Corneille was a French tragedian, and one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine.

As a young man, he earned the valuable patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, who was trying to promote classical tragedy along formal lines, but later quarrelled with him, especially over his best-known play Le Cid about a medieval Spanish warrior, which was denounced by the newly formed Académie française for breaching the unities. He continued to write well-received tragedies for nearly forty years.

Oh rage! Oh despair! Oh age, my enemy! age

He who does not fear death cares naught for threats. death & fear

I can be forced to live without happiness, but I will never consent to live without honor. happiness

Deceit is the game of petty spirits, and that is by nature a woman's quality. nature

One often calms one's grief by recounting it. sympathy

To die for one's country is such a worthy fate that all compete for so beautiful a death. death

Peace is produced by war. peace & war

Happiness seems made to be shared. happiness

A true king is neither husband nor father he considers his throne and nothing else. power

Master of the universe but not of myself, I am the only rebel against my absolute power. power

Each instant of life is a step toward death. death

Every man of courage is a man of his word. courage

We never taste happiness in perfection, our most fortunate successes are mixed with sadness. happiness

We never taste a perfect joy our happiest successes are mixed with sadness. sad

My sweetest hope is to lose hope. hope