Luigi Pirandello Quotes

“When the characters are really alive before their author, the latter does nothing but follow them in their action, in their words, in the situations which they suggest to him.”

Luigi Pirandello

On the other hand, when he is happy, he takes his happiness as it comes and doesn't analyse it, just as if happiness were his right. The animals suffer without reasoning about their sufferings. But take the case of a man who suffers and begins to reason about it. Oh no! it can't be allowed! Let him suffer like an animal, and then--ah yes, he is "human!" THE MANAGER. Look here! Look here! You're off again, philosophizing worse than ever. THE FATHER. Because I suffer, sir! I'm not philosophizing: I'm crying aloud the reason of my sufferings. THE MANAGER (_makes brusque movement as he is taken with a new idea_). I should like to know if anyone has ever heard of a character who gets right out of his part and perorates and speechifies as you do. Have you ever heard of a case? I haven't. THE FATHER. You have never met such a case, sir, because authors, as a rule, hide the labour of their creations. When the characters are really alive before their author, the latter does nothing but follow them in their action, in their words, in the situations which they suggest to him; and he has to will them the way they will themselves--for there's trouble if he doesn't. When a character is born, he acquires at once such an independence, even of his own author, that he can be imagined by everybody even in many other situations where the author never dreamed of placing him; and so he acquires for himself a meaning which the author never thought of giving him. THE MANAGER. Yes, yes, I know this. THE FATHER. What is there then to marvel at in us? Imagine such a misfortune for characters as I have described to you: to be born of an author's fantasy, and be denied life by him; and then answer me if these characters left alive, and yet without life, weren't right in doing what they did do and are doing now, after they have attempted everything in their power to persuade him to give them their stage life. We've all tried him in turn, I, she (_indicating the Step-Daughter_) and she (_indicating the Mother_).

“Drama is action, sir, action and not confounded philosophy.”

Luigi Pirandello

Well, if you want to take away from me the possibility of representing the torment of my spirit which never gives me peace, you will be suppressing me: that's all. Every true man, sir, who is a little above the level of the beasts and plants does not live for the sake of living, without knowing how to live; but he lives so as to give a meaning and a value of his own to life. For me this is _everything_. I cannot give up this, just to represent a mere fact as she (_indicating the Step-Daughter_) wants. It's all very well for her, since her "vendetta" lies in the "fact." I'm not going to do it. It destroys my _raison d'être_. THE MANAGER. Your _raison d'être!_ Oh, we're going ahead fine! First she starts off, and then you jump in. At this rate, we'll never finish. THE FATHER. Now, don't be offended! Have it your own way--provided, however, that within the limits of the parts you assign us each one's sacrifice isn't too great. THE MANAGER. You've got to understand that you can't go on arguing at your own pleasure. Drama is action, sir, action and not confounded philosophy. THE FATHER. All right. I'll do just as much arguing and philosophizing as everybody does when he is considering his own torments. THE MANAGER. If the drama permits! But for Heaven's sake, man, let's get along and come to the scene. THE STEP-DAUGHTER. It seems to me we've got too much action with our coming into his house (_indicating Father_). You said, before, you couldn't change the scene every five minutes. THE MANAGER. Of course not. What we've got to do is to combine and group up all the facts in one simultaneous, close-knit, action. We can't have it as you want, with your little brother wandering like a ghost from room to room, hiding behind doors and meditating a project which--what did you say it did to him? THE STEP-DAUGHTER. Consumes him, sir, wastes him away! THE MANAGER. Well, it may be, And then at the same time, you want the little girl there to be playing in the garden .

“Whatever is a reality today, whatever you touch and believe in and that seems real for you today, is going to be - like the reality of yesterday - an illusion tomorrow.”

Luigi Pirandello

“Nature uses human imagination to lift her work of creation to even higher levels.”

Luigi Pirandello

“I would love to spend all my time writing to you; Id love to share with you all that goes through my mind, all that weighs on my heart, all that gives air to my soul; phantoms of art, dreams that would be so beautiful if they could come true.”

Luigi Pirandello

“In bed my real love has always been the sleep that rescued me by allowing me to dream.”

Luigi Pirandello

“I present myself to you in a form suitable to the relationship I wish to achieve with you.”

Luigi Pirandello

“Women are like dreams - they are never the way you would like to have them”

Luigi Pirandello

“The history of mankind is the history of ideas.”

Luigi Pirandello

“Whoever has the luck to be born a character can laugh even at death. Because a character will never die! A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die!”

Luigi Pirandello

Each of us, face to face with other men, is clothed with some sort of dignity, but we know only too well all the unspeakable things that go on in the heart.

Luigi Pirandello

You dont know what it means to live the life that you could have lived, if an event over which you have no control, an unforeseeable circumstance, had not distracted and diverted you, and at times crushed you, as has happened to me.

Luigi Pirandello

...and here, in this if I always lose myself.

Luigi Pirandello

Whatever is a reality today, whatever you touch and believe in and that seems real for you today, is going to be, like the reality of yesterday, an illusion tomorrow.

Luigi Pirandello

Why are you so anxious to destroy in the name of a vulgar, commonplace sense of truth, this reality which comes to birth attracted and formed by the magic of the stage itself, which has indeed more right to live here than you, since it is much truer than you -- if you dont mind my saying so?

Luigi Pirandello

For man never reasons so much and becomes so introspective as when he suffers ; since he is anxious to get at the cause of his sufferings, to learn who has produced them, and whether it is just or unjust that he should have to bear them. On the other hand, when he is happy, he takes his happiness as it comes and doesnt analyse it, just as if happiness were his right.

Luigi Pirandello

Because evil, my dear child, can be done to anyone and by everyone, but good can only be done to those who need it.

Luigi Pirandello

One gives way to the temptation, only to rise from it again, afterwards, with a great eagerness to reestablish ones dignity, as if it were a tombstone to place on the grave of ones shame, and a monument to hide and sign the memory of our weaknesses. Everybodys in the same case. Some folks havent the courage to say certain things, thats all!THE STEP-DAUGHTER: All appear to have the courage to do them though.

Luigi Pirandello

You don’t appreciate the fact that madmen are very lucky.

Luigi Pirandello

In his madness he became a terrifying actor!

Luigi Pirandello

Quotes by Luigi Pirandello

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