Robert Bolt
Robert Bolt
Robert Oxton Bolt, CBEwas an English playwright and a two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter, known for writing the screenplays for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Man for All Seasons, the latter two of which won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth15 August 1924
citizen instrument keeps law man walk
The law is not a ""light"" for you or any man to see by; the law is not an instrument of any kind. The law is a causeway upon which so long as he keeps to it a citizen may walk safely.
fingers himself holding hope man opens takes
When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his ownself in his own hands. Like water. And if he opens his fingers then- he needn't hope to find himself again.
lying men half
The man who tells lies hides the truth, but the man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.
hero humility angel
If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we'd live like animals or angels in the happy land that /needs/ no heroes. But since in fact we see that avarice, anger, envy, pride, sloth, lust and stupidity commonly profit far beyond humility, chastity, fortitude, justice and thought, and have to choose, to be human at all... why then perhaps we /must/ stand fast a little --even at the risk of being heroes.
occupation dangerous
Doin' nothing's a dangerous occupation.
heaven good-marriage made
Good marriages are made in heaven. Or some such place.
kings
Death comes for us all. Even for kings he comes.
country sake chaos
When statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.
rain good-luck beer
I wish we could all have good luck, all the time! I wish we had wings! I wish rain water was beer!
birthday death dying
Even at our birth, death does but stand aside a little. And every day he looks towards us and muses somewhat to himself whether that day or the next he will draw nigh.
anchors wind fishing
Thomas More: Will, I'd trust you with my life. But not your principles. You see, we speak of being anchored to our principles. But if the weather turns nasty you up with an anchor and let it down where there's less wind, and the fishing's better. And "Look," we say, "look, I'm anchored! To my principles!
kings men thinking
Some men think the Earth is round, others think it flat; it is a matter capable of question. But, if it is flat, will the King's command make it round? And, if it is round, will the King's command flatten it?
nice breathing
I'm breathing . . . are you breathing too? It's nice, isn't it?
taste-in-music excellent music-is
Your taste in music is excellent. It exactly coinsides with my own!