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Edward Bond Quotes

Powerful Edward Bond for Daily Growth

About Edward Bond

Edward Bond (1934-1993) was a prominent British playwright whose provocative and politically charged works challenged conventional theater norms during the second half of the 20th century. Born on February 7, 1934, in London, England, Bond's family was working-class, an upbringing that significantly influenced his later writings. After attending Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he studied art history, Bond pursued a career in the theater. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he wrote for BBC radio dramas before making his debut on the British stage with "Early Morning" at the Royal Court Theatre in 1960. Bond's breakthrough came in 1965 with "Saved," a powerful anti-war play set in post-WWII Britain that sparked controversy due to its graphic portrayal of violence and explicit language. The play was banned by the Lord Chamberlain, England's censor at the time, but it later went on to be performed both in London and off-Broadway in New York. Throughout his career, Bond continued to explore themes of political and social injustice, often drawing inspiration from historical events or contemporary issues. His other notable works include "The Pope's Wedding" (1968), "Lear" (1971), "Narrow Road to the Deep North" (1968-70), "Bingo" (1969), and "Endymion" (1983). In addition to his plays, Bond wrote essays, novels, and opera librettos. His later works, such as "The Fool" (1976) and "Woman and Scarecrow" (1980), continued to explore the relationships between power, authority, and individual freedom. Edward Bond passed away on March 24, 1993, leaving behind a significant body of work that continues to be performed and studied worldwide. His unique blend of political commentary, poetic language, and raw emotion has secured his place as one of the most important British dramatists of the latter half of the 20th century.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

This quote suggests that true freedom encompasses more than just the act of liberation from oppressive constraints; it also requires an active commitment to promoting and preserving the freedoms of others. In essence, personal liberty is not solely about personal rights but extends to recognizing, respecting, and empowering the autonomy of others. This perspective emphasizes that our actions should reflect a sense of interconnectedness in which everyone's freedom contributes to a collective whole.

"Power doesn't corrupt; fear corrodes, possibility dries, hope withers."

The quote suggests that power itself is not inherently corrupting, but rather it is the pervasive fear, lack of opportunity (possibility), and diminished optimism (hope) generated by power dynamics that lead to corruption. In other words, when individuals or groups wield power without considering its impact on others' fears, potential, and aspirations, they inadvertently create conditions for corruption to thrive.

"There is no such thing as innocence. There are only degrees of guilt."

Edward Bond's quote, "There is no such thing as innocence. There are only degrees of guilt," suggests that everyone, intentionally or unintentionally, contributes to harm in some way. It implies a worldview where the absence of actively causing harm doesn't equate to being innocent, but rather being less guilty than others due to the lesser extent or frequency of harmful actions committed. This perspective emphasizes personal responsibility and accountability for the impacts of our actions on ourselves, others, and the environment.

"The past is not dead, it is living in us, and will be still alive in the children of the future."

This quote by Edward Bond suggests that the collective experiences, values, and lessons from our past do not simply disappear but continue to influence and shape us as individuals. These imprints of history are carried forward through generations, living on in the memories, beliefs, traditions, and behaviors of future societies. Essentially, Bond is implying that we are all products of our past and are responsible for preserving or transforming it for the benefit of those who come after us.

"The greatest tragedy of all is not tragedy but farce, the tragedy is that in the face of death, mankind has chosen the trivial over the vital, the empty over the real."

This quote by Edward Bond highlights a profound observation about humanity's priorities in the face of life's greatest challenge - mortality. He suggests that the "farce" or the absurdity lies in our collective decision to focus on trivial matters rather than addressing the vital, significant aspects of our existence, which often include deep connections, meaningful relationships, and pursuit of truth. The "tragedy" is not so much in the inevitable endings but in choosing a superficial and empty way of living, thereby missing out on the richness, depth, and substance that life has to offer.

Violence is hidden within democratic structures because they are not radically democratic - Western democracy is merely a domestic convenience of consumerism.

- Edward Bond

Hidden, Within, Structures, Convenience

I'm not interested in an imaginary world.

- Edward Bond

World, Imaginary World, Imaginary

The human mind is a dramatic structure in itself and our society is absolutely saturated with drama.

- Edward Bond

Mind, Drama, Itself, Saturated

The truth has got to appear plausible on the stage.

- Edward Bond

Truth, Stage, Appear, Plausible

We may seem competent, but by the end of next century there will be new deserts, new ruins.

- Edward Bond

New, Next, Century, Ruins

When humanness is lost the radical difference between the bodies in the pit and people walking on the street is lost.

- Edward Bond

Lost, Radical, Bodies, Humanness

What I try to do in a play is put a problem on stage, head-on, without evasion.

- Edward Bond

Play, Problem, Stage, Head-On

It's politely assumed that democracy is a means of containing and restraining violence. But violence comes not from genes but from ideas.

- Edward Bond

Genes, Means, Containing, Restraining

Violence is never a solution in my plays, just as ultimately violence is never a solution in human affairs.

- Edward Bond

Solution, Never, Plays, Human Affairs

What Shakespeare and the Greeks were able to do was radically question what it meant to be a human being.

- Edward Bond

Question, Human Being, Meant, Meant To Be

It's insulting to ask a dramatist what his view of his play is. I have no opinion.

- Edward Bond

Play, View, His, Dramatist

In the end I think theatre has only one subject: justice.

- Edward Bond

Theatre, Think, I Think, In The End

The English sent all their bores abroad, and acquired the Empire as a punishment.

- Edward Bond

Punishment, English, Abroad, Empire

I write plays not to make money, but to stop myself from going mad. Because it's my way of making the world rational to me.

- Edward Bond

Making, I Write, Plays, Rational

The one overall structure in my plays is language.

- Edward Bond

Language, Plays, Overall, Structure

If you engage people on a vital, important level, they will respond.

- Edward Bond

Important, Will, Level, Engage

Shakespeare has no answers for us at all.

- Edward Bond

Answers, Us, Shakespeare

Now, drama is quite useful at helping us to understand what our position is and, conversely, we might then understand why our theatre is being destroyed.

- Edward Bond

Understand, Might, Helping, Useful

The Greeks said very, very extreme things in their tragedies.

- Edward Bond

Tragedies, Very, Things, Extreme

All you now do is pursue your private objectives within society. Instead of us being a community, everybody is asked to seek their own personal ends. It's called competition. And competition is antagonism.

- Edward Bond

Within, Private, Everybody, Objectives

Fifteen years ago I walked out of a production of one of my plays at the RSC because I decided it was a waste of time.

- Edward Bond

Waste, Fifteen, Plays, Waste Of Time

Our unconscious is not more animal than our conscious, it is often even more human.

- Edward Bond

More, Unconscious, Even, Conscious

Auschwitz is a place in which tragedy cannot occur.

- Edward Bond

Tragedy, Which, Occur, Auschwitz

Humanity's become a product and when humanity is a product, you get Auschwitz and you get Chair.

- Edward Bond

Chair, Product, Get, Auschwitz

I don't think it's the job of theatre at the moment to provide political propaganda; that would be simplistic. We have to explore our situation further before we will understand it.

- Edward Bond

Explore, Think, Simplistic, Further

Art is the close scrutiny of reality and therefore I put on the stage only those things that I know happen in our society.

- Edward Bond

Art, Happen, Scrutiny, Therefore

We are still living in the aftershock of Hiroshima, people are still the scars of history.

- Edward Bond

Scars, Living, Still, Hiroshima

In the past goodness was always a collective experience. Then goodness became privatised.

- Edward Bond

Always, In The Past, Became, Goodness

Religion enabled society to organise itself to debate goodness, just as Greek drama had once done.

- Edward Bond

Done, Greek, Had, Goodness

It seems to me that we are profoundly ignorant of ourselves.

- Edward Bond

Me, Seems, Profoundly, Ignorant

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