Moliere Quotes

Birth is nothing without virtue, and we have no claim to share in the glory of our ancestors unless we endeavor to resemble them.
MOLIERE

Ancestor Born Glorious Virtue
Anyone may be an honorable man, and yet write verse badly.
MOLIERE

Bad Honor Man Poet Writing
We should look long and carefully at ourselves before we pass judgement on others.
MOLIERE

Judgment Ourselves
It is fine for a woman to know a lot; but I don’t want her to have this shocking desire to be learned for learnedness sake. When I ask a woman a question, I like her to pretend to ignore what she really knows.
MOLIERE

Desire Ignorance Learning Myself Question Woman
I will not leave you until I have seen you hanged.
MOLIERE

Death Leaving Myself See Yourself
I have the fault of being a little more sincere than is proper.
MOLIERE

Mistake Myself Proper Sincere
She is laughing up her sleeve at you.
MOLIERE

Herself Laughter Yourself
I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn’t show it to everybody.
MOLIERE

Chance Myself Show Writing
The great ambition of women is to inspire love.
MOLIERE

Ambition Greatness Love Woman
Cultivated people should be superior to any consideration so sordid as a mercenary interest.
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Cultivation Interest People
Birth means nothing where there is no virtue.
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Born Virtue
I believe that two and two are four and that four and four are eight.
MOLIERE

Believe Mathematics
There is no protection against slander.
MOLIERE

Protection
Too great haste leads us to error.
MOLIERE

Error Greatness Haste
When we are understood, we always speak well, and then all your fine diction serves no purpose.
MOLIERE

Purpose Serve Understand
Rest assured that there is nothing which wounds the heart of a noble man more deeply than the thought his honour is assailed.
MOLIERE

Heart Honor Man Noble Wound
One cannot but mistrust a prospect of felicity: one must enjoy it before one can believe in it.
MOLIERE

Believe Enjoyment Oneself Prospect Trust
The more powerful the obstacle, the more glory we have in overcoming it; and the difficulties with which we are met are the maids of honor which set off virtue.
MOLIERE

Difficult Obstacle Powerful Virtue
Oh, how fine it is to know a thing or two.
MOLIERE

Knowledge Known
We live under a prince who is an enemy to fraud, a prince whose eyes penetrate into the heart, and whom all the art of impostors can’t deceive.
MOLIERE

Enemy Heart Imposter Live
The world, dear Agnes, is a strange affair.
MOLIERE

Affair Strange World
I maintain, in truth, That with a smile we should instruct our youth, Be very gentle when we have to blame, And not put them in fear of virtue’s name.
MOLIERE

Blame Maintain Name Smile Truth Virtue
Men often marry in hasty recklessness and repent afterward all their lives.
MOLIERE

Haste Man Marriage Regret
It is good food and not fine words that keeps me alive.
MOLIERE

Alive Food Goodness Myself
Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.
MOLIERE

Cruelty Doubt Truth Worst
When you model yourself on people, you should try to resemble their good sides.
MOLIERE

Goodness Modeling People Side
Malicious tongues spread their poison abroad and nothing here below is proof against them.
MOLIERE

Evidence Malicious Mouth Poison

Other Famous Personalities