Controlled hysteria is what's required. To exist constantly in a state of controlled hysteria. It's agony. But everyone has agony. The difference is that I try to take my agony home and teach it to sing.
Arthur MillerRead
A playwright lives in an occupied country. And if you can't live that way you don't stay.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the struggles and sacrifices a playwright faces in a restrictive environment.
Arthur Miller's quote highlights the challenges that artists, particularly playwrights, encounter while creating work in a society filled with oppression or conflict. The metaphor of living in an 'occupied country' suggests that the playwright must navigate through external pressures and limitations that stifle creativity and expression, and it implies that a true artist will either adapt to this reality or choose to leave such an environment behind.
Themes
PlaywrightArtOppressionCreativityExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of artistic freedom.
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