Do you know what a playwright is? A playwright is someone who lets his guts hang out on the stage.
Edward AlbeeRead
Every monster was a man first.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that all individuals have the capacity for both good and evil, and that adversity can shape one's nature.
Edward Albee's quote 'Every monster was a man first' reflects the idea that every person has a history and circumstances that contribute to their current state. It implies that behaviors perceived as monstrous often stem from experiences, choices, and societal influences, urging us to consider the humanity behind actions that we might deem as inhumane.
In practice
In a discussion about redemption and change, this quote can highlight the themes of understanding one's past.
Do you know what a playwright is? A playwright is someone who lets his guts hang out on the stage.
When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he is no longer a critic; he is a censor.
I am convinced that no one is fully educated without a full grounding in the arts.
Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it.
Remember one thing about democracy. We can have anything we want and at the same time, we always end up with exactly what we deserve.
Your source material is the people you know, not those you don't know, but every character is an extension of the author's own personality.
Josh: So, Toby, itβs election night. What do you say about a country that goes out of its way to protect even those citizens that try to destroy it? Toby: God bless America.
I tell people, and it's the truth, I could sit in my garage for a week and it won't make me a car. And you can sit in church till your bottom is flat and that won't make you a servant of Christ.
My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!
The strange thing about Africa is how past, present and future come together in a kind of rough jazz, if you like.
No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good...Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.
Habit is the cement of society, the comfort of life, and, alas! The root of error.
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