Sophocles Quotes
Sophocles was an ancient Greek playwright whose tragedies, including Oedipus Rex and Antigone, have been performed for nearly 2,500 years. His observations on honor, labor, and the human response to fear remain sharp and direct.
These quotes work naturally in academic essays, theater programs, speeches on integrity, or social media posts about character. Explore the full collection below.
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“I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.”
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“Without labor nothing prospers.”
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“To him who is in fear everything rustles.”
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“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.”
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“Success is dependent on effort.”
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“Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life.”
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“Always desire to learn something useful.”
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“The oaths of a woman I inscribe on water.”
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“Trust dies but mistrust blossoms.”
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“One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love.”
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“To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task.”
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“There is no success without hardship.”
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“The dice of Zeus always fall luckily.”
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“No enemy is worse than bad advice.”
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“There is no greater evil for men than the constraint of fortune.”
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“A man growing old becomes a child again.”
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“There is no greater evil than anarchy.”
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“A human being is only breath and shadow.”
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“For death is not the worst, but when one wants to die and is not able even to have that.”
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“A lie never lives to be old.”