It took me two years to walk around a chair with ease; it took me another two years to learn how to laugh onstage - and I had to learn everything.
Laurence OlivierRead
Shakespeare - The nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the power of art can be divine and profoundly influential.
Laurence Olivier describes the essence of Shakespeare's work as being as close to the divine perception as possible. It implies that Shakespeare's artistry captures truths and emotions with such clarity and depth that it resonates with the highest ideals of understanding and insight, akin to viewing the world through the eyes of God.
Themes
ShakespeareArtDivineCreativityTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of literature on society, one might quote this to emphasize Shakespeare's importance.
More from Laurence Olivier
All quotes βWhat is the main problem of the actor? It is to keep the audience awake, and not let them go to sleep, then wake up and go home feeling they've wasted their money.
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Work is life for me, it is the only point of life - and with it there is almost religious belief that service is everything.
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I don't know what is better than the work that is given to the actor - to teach the human heart the knowledge of itself.
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Acting is an everlasting search for truth.
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I'd like people to remember me for a diligent expert workman. I think a poet is a workman. I think Shakespeare was a workman. And God's a workman. I don't think there's anything better than a workman.
Laurence OlivierRead
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