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Pierre Corneille Quotes

1606–1684 France

Pierre Corneille (June 6, 1606 – October 1, 1684) was a French tragedian who was one of the three great 17th-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Jean Racine. He has been called “the founder of French tragedy” and produced plays for nearly 40 years.

France
Academics
Playwrights

Also known as: Corneille, Corneille, Pierre, Pierre Cornielle, Le Cid

Random Pierre Corneille quote

86 quotes

Desire increases when fulfillment is postponed.

Polyeucte (1642)

The worst of all states is the people's state.

Cinna (1641)

The greater the effort, the greater the glory.

Polyeucte (1642)

And the combat ceased for want of combatants.

Le Cid (1636)

He who plays advisor is no longer ambassador.

Le Menteur (The Liar) (1643)

Do your duty, and leave the rest to heaven.

Horace (1639)

All evils are equal when they are extreme.

Horace (1639)

My generosity finally cedes to her hatred.

Le Menteur (The Liar) (1643)

Treachery is noble when aimed at tyranny.

Cinna (1641)

Be it only for a day, it is still a glory without equal
To be master of the world just that day.

La Mort de Pompée (The Death of Pompey) (1642)

A monarch must sometimes rule even himself:
He who wants everything must risk very little.

Tite et Bérénice (Titus and Berenice) (1670)

Its fury aims to shatter but our altars:
It scorns only the gods and never the mortals.

Polyeucte (1642)

A true king is neither husband nor father;
He considers his throne and nothing else.

Le Menteur (The Liar) (1643)

The universe has no prince or king
That it [Rome] would consider equal to its humblest citizen.

Le Menteur (The Liar) (1643)

It is an imprudence common to kings
To listen to too much advice and to err in their choice.

La Mort de Pompée (The Death of Pompey) (1642)

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

Le Cid (1636)

True, I am young, but for souls nobly born
Valor doesn’t await the passing of years.

Le Cid (1636)

It is hard to hate what one has loved,
And a half-extinguished fire is soon relit.

Sertorius (1662)

Heaven absolves all crimes committed to gain a throne
Once Heaven gives it to us.

Cinna (1641)

Such subjects are the very strength of kings,
And are thus above the law.

Horace (1639)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Pierre Corneille (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.