A mime is a terrible thing to waste.
Marcel MarceauRead
I have designed my style pantomimes as white ink drawings on black backgrounds, so that man's destiny appears as a thread lost in an endless labyrinth. I have tried to shed some gleams of light on the shadow of man startled by his anguish.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Marcel Marceau's quote emphasizes the complexity of human existence and the search for meaning amidst struggle.
In this quote, Marcel Marceau reflects on the intricacies of life, likening it to a labyrinth where individuals often feel lost. His use of imagery—white drawings on black backgrounds—symbolizes the contrast between light and darkness in human experience, suggesting that while there is anguish, there is also a possibility of hope and clarity amidst confusion.
Themes
DestinyLabyrinthAnguishLightArt
In practice
Example use cases
An art exhibition could feature this quote to enhance the theme of the complexity of life.
More from Marcel Marceau
All quotes →In a clown, we see what we do that makes us laugh and cry. I kept the white face, the tradition of the Pierrot. My clown became a romantic and stylized figure. I wanted to be an abstract and concrete figure, a symbol of humanity.
Marcel MarceauRead
Mime makes the invisible, visible and the visible, invisible.
Marcel MarceauRead
I am a company in myself. My repertoire has become a bible for all mimes in the world.
Marcel MarceauRead
When you're in a play, 50 percent is the genius of the actor, 50 percent is the genius of the author. When a mime is not perfect, you see nothing.
Marcel MarceauRead
Music and silence combine strongly because music is done with silence, and silence is full of music.
Marcel MarceauRead
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