Thomas Dekker Quotes

Powerful Thomas Dekker for Daily Growth

About Thomas Dekker

Thomas Dekker (1572-1632) was an influential English playwright, poet, and pamphleteer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Born on August 7, 1572, in London, England, Dekker is considered one of the most prolific and innovative writers of his time. As a child, Dekker was apprenticed to a printer, but his passion for literature soon led him to join London's theater world. His early life was marked by hardship, including imprisonment for debt, which he often alluded to in his works. These experiences greatly influenced the themes and characters found in his plays, many of which were dark, gritty, and realistically portrayed the struggles of everyday people. Dekker's career as a playwright began around 1594, and he quickly gained prominence alongside contemporaries such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. Some of his most notable works include "The Shoemaker's Holiday" (1599), "Royalist's Tragedy" (1602), and the city comedy "Old Fortunatus" (1600). His collaborative effort with John Webster, "The Duchess of Malfi," is considered one of the greatest tragedies in English literature. Dekker was also a significant contributor to the development of urban comedies, which often depicted the lives of Londoners and emphasized their struggles and triumphs. His works were known for their wit, social commentary, and use of contemporary language. In addition to his playwriting, Dekker authored numerous pamphlets and poems on various subjects, including politics, religion, and morality. He died on July 16, 1632, leaving behind a rich and lasting legacy in English literature. Today, he is remembered as one of the most original and versatile writers of his generation.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life is like a book, and we're all blindly flipping pages in the hope that the story gets better."

This quote by Thomas Dekker suggests that life can feel unpredictable and often challenging, much like reading a book where one cannot see what lies ahead on each page. Just as we turn pages in a book hoping for an engaging or satisfying story, people go through life's experiences with the hope that things will improve or become more meaningful. The quote emphasizes the sense of uncertainty and anticipation many of us feel while navigating our lives, relying on faith, resilience, and perseverance to keep moving forward in search of a better story.


"In dreams we are all heroes, in reality we are the villains of our own stories."

This quote by Thomas Dekker suggests that our dreams often embody idealized versions of ourselves, where we envision ourselves as heroes, overcoming challenges and achieving greatness. However, in reality, we may fall short of these ideals and become the antagonists or villains in our own life stories, due to fear, self-doubt, or other obstacles that prevent us from fully realizing our potential. It's a reminder to strive for self-improvement and to live up to the heroes we aspire to be in our dreams.


"It's a scary thing to realize you can't escape who you are."

This quote by Thomas Dekker suggests that it is unsettling to acknowledge that one cannot evade or disguise their inherent character, personality, or identity. Essentially, we are all unique individuals with distinct traits and characteristics that define us, and no matter where we go or what we do, these qualities remain an integral part of who we are. Embracing this truth can be challenging but also empowering, as it encourages self-awareness, personal growth, and self-acceptance.


"Love is a sickness, a dangerous drug that makes us do stupid things."

Thomas Dekker's quote suggests that love can be harmful, much like a sickness or a potent substance. It implies that love has the power to cloud our judgment and lead us to make irrational decisions, often described as "stupid things." In essence, he is saying that love can have negative consequences when it drives individuals to act in ways they might otherwise avoid due to its intoxicating effects.


"The world is full of broken dreams and shattered hearts but we all have the power to mend ourselves if only we remember to love."

This quote by Thomas Dekker emphasizes that despite a world filled with heartbreaks and unfulfilled dreams, each individual possesses the capacity for self-healing through the act of love. Love here can be understood in multiple ways - as compassion for oneself, emotional healing from past hurts, or nurturing relationships that foster personal growth. The message encourages us to embrace our ability to heal ourselves and to recognize the transformative power of love in our lives.


Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

- Thomas Dekker

Health, Sleep, Chain, Golden

Surely man was not created to be an idle fellow; he was not set in this universal orchard to stand still as a tree.

- Thomas Dekker

Still, Set, Surely, Orchard

A mask of gold hides all deformities.

- Thomas Dekker

Gold, Mask, Hides

Cast away care, he that loves sorrow Lengthens not a day, nor can buy tomorrow; Money is trash, and he that will spend it, Let him drink merrily, fortune will send it.

- Thomas Dekker

Will, Fortune, Away, Send

We are ne'er like angels till our passion dies.

- Thomas Dekker

Angels, Like, Till, Dies

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, Smiles awake you when you rise.

- Thomas Dekker

Smiles, Golden, Your, Rise

Arguments, like children, should be like the subject that begets them.

- Thomas Dekker

Children, Like, Subject, Begets

This age thinks better of a gilded fool Than of a threadbare saint in wisdom's school.

- Thomas Dekker

School, Better, Saint, Gilded

Honest labor bears a lovely face.

- Thomas Dekker

Work, Face, Lovely, Bears

O what a heaven is love! O what a hell!

- Thomas Dekker

Love, Hell, Heaven

What a heaven is love! O what a hell!

- Thomas Dekker

Love, Hell, Heaven

The calmest husbands make the stormiest wives.

- Thomas Dekker

Husbands, Make, Wives

This principle is old, but true as fate, Kings may love treason, but the traitor hate.

- Thomas Dekker

Love, Treason, Principle, Kings

This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it.

- Thomas Dekker

Think, Will, Still, Magical

Age is like love, it cannot be hid.

- Thomas Dekker

Love, Age, Like, Hid

Were there no women, men might live like gods.

- Thomas Dekker

Women, Like, Were, Gods

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