43 Quotes by Samuel West

[P]erfect freedom consists in obeying the dictates of right reason, and submitting to natural law. When a man goes beyond or contrary to the law of nature and reason, he . . . introduces confusion and disorder into society . . . [thus] where licentiousness begins, liberty ends.

It is our duty to endeavor always to promote the general good; to do to all as we would be willing to be done by were we in their circumstances; to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God. These are some of the laws of nature which every man in the world is bound to observe, and which whoever violates exposes himself to the resentment of mankind, the lashes of his own conscience, and the judgment of Heaven. This plainly shows that the highest state of liberty subjects us to the law of nature and the government of God.

Most good art is left wing. It’s a moot point whether there is any good right-wing art.

We’ll be back. I promise you that.

When people say, ‘If I had my life over again I wouldn’t do anything different,’ well, I’d do everything differently just for the variety.

Books don’t exist unless you read them. And it’s a two way process – you write the book as you read it and you fill in the gaps. You discover it and you put the marks together and without you doing it they’re just marks.

Of course ‘Hamlet’ is a debate about the nature and morality of revenge and whether it is right to do something to assuage your angry feelings.

I’m rather proud of having been a trainspotter.

Most actors are socialists, aren’t they?