David Hare Quotes

Powerful David Hare for Daily Growth

About David Hare

David Hare, born on January 5, 1947, in Westminster, London, is an acclaimed British playwright, screenwriter, and director whose work spans over five decades. Hare's interest in theater began during his education at Oxford University where he studied English Literature. However, it was his experiences working as a researcher for the Labour Party that significantly influenced his later works, often exploring political themes and ethical dilemmas. His professional writing career commenced in the late 1960s with plays like "Knuckle" (1968) and "The Bachelor's Walk" (1969). But it was the controversial "Plenty" (1978), a critique of post-World War II disillusionment, that brought Hare international recognition. In the 1980s, Hare wrote several plays for the National Theatre, including "Amy's View" (1999) and "The Judas Kiss" (1998), both of which were nominated for Tony Awards. His screenwriting credits include adaptations of his own works like "The Hours" (2002) and "The Reader" (2003), as well as original scripts such as "The Last of the Haussmans" (2004). Hare's work is characterized by intellectual rigor, moral complexity, and a deep engagement with contemporary political issues. He has been honored with numerous awards, including three Olivier Awards, two BAFTAs, and a Tony Award for Best Play for "The Judas Kiss." Despite his success, Hare remains active in political activism, using his art as a platform to voice his opinions on various societal and political issues.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The function of art is to do more than tell it liketold before - to see what lies under and around the story."

This quote emphasizes that the purpose of art transcends mere narrative retelling; it encourages artists to delve deeper, exploring the underlying themes and contexts of a story. In essence, good art should not only tell a tale but also reveal hidden meanings, subtext, and perspectives that enrich our understanding of reality.

"Truth is a moving target, and the idea that you can pin it down forever is an illusion."

This quote by David Hare suggests that truth is not static or fixed, but rather it's dynamic and ever-evolving. The notion of believing in a permanent or unchanging truth is an illusion because our understanding and perception of reality constantly change as we gather more information, grow, and experience new perspectives. It's crucial to remain open-minded and adapt our beliefs accordingly, acknowledging that our current understanding of truth may not be the final version.

"Drama is about people trying to communicate, but communication breaking down. It's about failure in relationships."

David Hare's quote underscores that drama is a reflection of real-life human interactions, particularly those fraught with miscommunication and relationship struggles. The essence lies in the portrayal of characters striving to connect yet falling short, highlighting the complexities and vulnerabilities inherent in human relationships. This insight serves as a universal theme for many works of drama, as it resonates with audiences by showcasing the shared human experience of misunderstandings and failed connections in our interpersonal relations.

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

This quote by David Hare suggests that politicians often exaggerate problems or misinterpret their causes, leading them to propose ineffective solutions. It implies a criticism of the political process where instead of finding genuine solutions for complex issues, there's a tendency to sensationalize and simplify matters for personal gain or to appease certain groups. Overall, Hare is highlighting a cynical view of politics, suggesting it often involves more trouble-finding than problem-solving.

"The role of the writer is not to say what we can all say but what we are unable to say."

This quote by David Hare emphasizes that writers have a unique role in society, not just as repeaters or echoes of common thoughts, but as provocateurs who bring forth ideas and perspectives that might be difficult or uncomfortable for people to express themselves. Essentially, the writer serves as a conduit for unexpressed sentiments and complex emotions, giving voice to what remains unsaid in everyday discourse.

In oratory the will must predominate.

- David Hare

Will, Must, Oratory

Are we simply waving farewell to the days when some of the most interesting thinking in Europe and America came to us from our fiction film-makers? BBC2, which once introduced and showed great films, now shows none.

- David Hare

Some, Fiction, None, Farewell

Surely our job while we're here on Earth is to learn about the world, not to create parallel universes.

- David Hare

Learn, Here, Surely, Parallel

Weak minds sink under prosperity as well as adversity; but strong and deep ones have two high tides.

- David Hare

Adversity, Strong, Deep, Weak Minds

The poetry from the eighteenth century was prose; the prose from the seventeenth century was poetry.

- David Hare

Prose, Century, Eighteenth

Thought is the wind and knowledge the sail.

- David Hare

Knowledge, Thought, Sail, Wind

In those days, the early 1980s, TV and film were interchangeable.

- David Hare

TV, Were, TV And Film, Interchangeable

If the purpose of the stumpy little NFT theatre under Waterloo Bridge is not to acquaint young audiences with Ozu, with Ophuels, with D. W. Griffith and with Agnes Varda, then what exactly does it exist for?

- David Hare

Purpose, Young, Then, Waterloo

Some people carry their heart in their head and some carry their head in their heart. The trick is to keep them apart yet working together.

- David Hare

Some, Them, Trick, Apart

Sudden resolutions, like the sudden rise of mercury in a barometer, indicate little else than the variability of the weather.

- David Hare

Like, Sudden, Mercury, Indicate

'Via Dolorosa' is the only thing I have ever acted in my life, professionally, and I'll never act again.

- David Hare

My Life, The Only Thing, Acted

Strength was the virtue of paganism; obedience is the virtue of Christianity.

- David Hare

Strength, Virtue, Obedience, Paganism

Politics is just a function of business now, just a tributary of the great entrepreneurial capitalist system.

- David Hare

Politics, System, Capitalist, Entrepreneurial

You can't get a contemporary story about what is going on inside government, and how society sees itself, on American TV.

- David Hare

Going, TV, About, Contemporary

The ultimate tendency of civilization is towards barbarism.

- David Hare

Civilization, Tendency, Barbarism

The one thing that 'Via Dolorosa' has is no opinions. To me, curiosity is 50 times as valuable as opinion.

- David Hare

Curiosity, One Thing, Via

Nothing is further than earth from heaven, and nothing is nearer than heaven to earth.

- David Hare

Earth, Nothing, Than, Heaven

As human beings, we are all not conducting just one narrative but many narratives all at the same time.

- David Hare

Narrative, Narratives, Many, Conducting

To those whose God is honor; only disgrace is a sin.

- David Hare

Honor, Sin, Only, Disgrace

The actual business of writing dialogue is not thought of as a craft.

- David Hare

Business, Thought, Actual, Dialogue

Purity is the feminine, truth the masculine of honor.

- David Hare

Truth, Purity, Feminine, Masculine

No one but a fool is always right.

- David Hare

Right, Always, Fool

An inability to handle language is not the same thing as stupidity.

- David Hare

Stupidity, Same, Inability, Handle

Smiles are the language of love.

- David Hare

Love, Language, Smiles

The future of American film lies on television.

- David Hare

Future, American, Television, Lies

In the '70s, terrorism was much more serious, in that many more people got killed.

- David Hare

Serious, More, More People, Terrorism

When they speak, dead frogs fall out of their mouths.

- David Hare

Speak, Fall, Dead, Mouths

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