Insightful Moliere Quotes to Make You Think Deeply

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known more commonly as Moliere, was a French playwright, poet, and actor. He is considered one of the best writers of worldwide literature and a genius writer of the French language.

He was born in January 1622 and moved Parisians with his wit and acting talents. However, since theater was not considered respectable in that era, he changed his name to Moliere so that his family name would not be tarnished with his reputation and work.

Moliere’s body of work mostly consists of comedies. Some of his work was considered too scandalous for people and was banned and suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church. The most popular works to date by Moliere are Le Misanthrope and Tartuffe.

Here Are Some of the Most Interesting Moliere Quotes

1. “Trees that are slow to grow to bear the best fruit.” ― Moliere

2. “It is a wonderful seasoning of all enjoyments to think of those we love.” ― Molière

3. “Writing is like prostitution. First, you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.” ― Moliere

4. “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” ― Molière

5. “A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool.” ― Moliere

6. “It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” ― Molière

7. “Life is a tragedy to those who feel and a comedy to those who think.” ― Molière

8. “My hate is general; I detest all men; Some because they are wicked and do evil, Others because they tolerate the wicked, Refusing them the active, vigorous scorn; Which vice should stimulate in virtuous minds.” ― Moliere, The Misanthrope

9. “It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I’m right.” ― Molière

10. “We die only once and for such a long time.” ― Molière

11. “I have the defect of being more sincere than persons wish.” ― Moliere, The Misanthrope

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12. “Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.” ― Moliere

13. “Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without the bait.” ― Molière, Tartuffe

14. “One ought to examine himself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others.” ― Moliere

15. “All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.” ― Molière

 

Moliere Quotes that will motivate you

16. “I become quite melancholy and deeply grieved to see men behave to each other as they do. Everywhere I find nothing but base flattery, injustice, self-interest, deceit, and roguery. I cannot bear it any longer; I’m furious, and my intention is to break with all mankind.” ― Molière, The Misanthrope

17. “Man, I can assure you, is a nasty creature.” ― Molière

18. “Each day my reason tells me so, but reason doesn’t rule in love, you know.” ― Molière, The Misanthrope

19. “Without knowledge, life is no more than the shadow of death” ― Moliere

20. “You are my peace, my solace, my salvation.” ― Molière, Tartuffe

21. “A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation.” ― Molière

22. “There is nothing I detest so much as the contortions of these great time-and-lip servers, these affable dispensers of meaningless embraces, these obliging utterers of empty words, who view everyone in civilities” ― Molière, The Misanthrope

23. “We ought to punish pitilessly that shameful pretense of friendly intercourse. I like a man to be a man and to show on all occasions the bottom of his heart in his discourse. Let that be the thing to speak, and never let our feelings be beneath vain compliments” ― Moliere, The Misanthrope

24. “I prefer an interesting vice to a virtue that bores.” ― Molière

Moliere, a playwright, and actor

25. “Unbroken happiness is a bore: it should have ups and downs.” ― Molière

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26. “You may plainly perceive the traitor through his mask; he is well-known everywhere in his true colors; his rolling eyes and his honeyed tones impose only on those who do not know him.” ― Molière, The Misanthrope

27. “Frenchmen have an unlimited capacity for gallantry and indulge it on every occasion.” ― Moliere

28. “There are pretenders to piety as well as to courage.” – Moliere

29. “Ah! how annoying that the law doesn’t allow a woman to change husbands just as one does shirts.” ― Moliere

30. “True, Heaven prohibits certain pleasures, but one can generally negotiate a compromise.

31. I want to be distinguished from the rest; to tell the truth, a friend to all mankind is not a friend for me.” ― Moliere

32. “Some of the most famous books are the least worth reading. Their fame was due to their having done something that they needed to be doing in their day. The work is done, and the virtue of the book has expired.” ― Moliere

33. “He who follows his lessons tastes a profound peace and looks upon everybody as a bunch of manure.” ― Moliere

34. “Perfect reason flees all extremity and leads one to be wise with sobriety.” ― Moliere

35.  “To marry a fool is to be no fool.” ― Moliere

A portrait of Moliere

Moliere Quotes – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best Moliere quote about love?

The best quote by Moliere is: “The more we love someone, the less we flatter them; it is by excusing nothing that true love shows itself.”.

Are Moliere poems taught in theater classes?

Yes, Moliere is a renowned playwright who wrote many popular plays such as The Affected Ladies, The School for Husbands, and the School of Wives. His works are studied by students interested in playwriting to this day.

What is the Moliere accountability quote?

Moliere spoke brilliantly about accountability as he said, “It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.”.

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Moliere – Man of Satire and Many Burials: Crash Course Theater #21

This week on CC Theater, Mike Rugnetta teaches you about the greatest playwright of Renaissance France, Moliere. We’ll talk a bit about early French theater design and the kingly love of theater that Louis the XIII and XIV shared, and look at Moliere’s Tartuffe in the Thought Bubble.

Summary

Moliere was a famous French playwright who is revered as an extraordinary poet and writer of the French language. Many of his popular works have been translated and studied in English as well.

Some of his work has been considered too brazen for the time, which is why many of his plays and poems were often suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church. He was a comic genius who used satire to amuse his audience while also making them reflect deeply on his words.

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Image credits:

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nicolas Mignard , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pierre Mignard I , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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