Legendary Lines: 100+ Classic Alexandre Dumas Quotes For Literary Enthusiasts

Alexandre Dumas, a literary titan of the 19th century, is celebrated not only for his captivating novels but also for his profound insights into the human condition, encapsulated in his timeless quotes.

Renowned for works like “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Dumas’s literary prowess extends beyond narrative mastery to include a treasury of inspirational and thought-provoking quotes.

His words resonate across generations, offering wisdom, motivation, and a glimpse into the complexities of life.

In this exploration of the best quotes by Alexandre Dumas, we delve into his enduring legacy, uncovering the gems of wisdom that continue to inspire and provoke thought in readers worldwide.

100+ Classic Alexandre Dumas Quotes For Literary Enthusiasts

“All for one, one for all.”
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.”
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more.”
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words: ‘Wait and hope.'”
“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.”
“I prefer the sword to the pen.”
“We must never forget that what the sword can give, the sword can also take away.”
“The merit of all things lies in their difficulty.”
“To persevere, trusting in what hopes he has, is courage in a man.”
“Life is like a game of whist. From time to time, you get a good hand.”
“One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.”
“It is necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
“How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it.”
“To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others.”
“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.”
“Friends are the family you choose.”
“One’s work may be finished someday, but one’s education never.”
“Nothing succeeds like success.”
“Moral wounds have this peculiarity – they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.”
“It is the duty of youth to bring its fresh powers to bear on social progress. Each generation of young people should be to the world like a vast reserve force to a tired army.”
“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.”
“There is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state to another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.”
“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.”
“Woman is sacred; the woman one loves is holy.”
“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.”
“Every man has his fault, and honesty is his.”
“Love is the most selfish of all the passions.”
“We are never quits with those who oblige us, for when we do not owe them money, we owe them gratitude.”
“To refuse compliments is to want to be complimented twice.”
“To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.”
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
“It’s necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good life is to live.”
“To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory.”
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more.”
“One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.”
“It is impossible to describe the pleasure of the good-natured and well-meaning.”
“It is sometimes essential to government to cause a man’s disappearance without leaving any traces, so that no written forms or documents may defeat their wishes.”
“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.”

These quotes reflect the breadth of Dumas’s wisdom, ranging from love and friendship to perseverance and the complexities of human nature.

“No matter how much suffering you went through, you never wanted to let go of those memories.”
“The merit of all things lies in their difficulty.”
“The most virtuous women have something within them, something that is never chaste.”
“Love is the most selfish of all the passions.”
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.”
“To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.”
“It’s necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good life is to live.”
“The good old days, when each idea had an emperor, are gone forever.”
“There is nothing like youth. The middle-aged are mortgaged to Life. The old are in Life’s lumber-room. But youth is the Lord of Life. Youth has a kingdom waiting for it. Every one is born a king, and most people die in exile.”
“Life is a voyage that’s homeward bound.”
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more.”
“To refuse compliments is to want to be complimented twice.”
“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.”
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.”
“Every man has his fault, and honesty is his.”
“It is impossible to describe the pleasure of the good-natured and well-meaning.”
“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.”
“Woman is sacred; the woman one loves is holy.”
“One’s work may be finished someday, but one’s education never.”
“It is sometimes essential to government to cause a man’s disappearance without leaving any traces, so that no written forms or documents may defeat their wishes.”
“Friends are the family you choose.”
“All for one, one for all.”
“Moral wounds have this peculiarity – they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.”
“How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it.”
“One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.”
“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.”
“We must never forget that what the sword can give, the sword can also take away.”
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
“Life is like a game of whist. From time to time, you get a good hand.”
“To persevere, trusting in what hopes he has, is courage in a man.”
“It is the duty of youth to bring its fresh powers to bear on social progress. Each generation of young people should be to the world like a vast reserve force to a tired army.”
“There is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state to another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.”
“A person’s life story is not a Wikipedia article you can summarize in a few lines or conveniently edit as you please.”
“It’s better to be killed than frightened to death.”
“When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever.”
“Do as adversaries do in law, strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.”
“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.”
“We must exhaust all human intellectual and scientific resources before resorting to the sword.”
“The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”
“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself.”
“Great souls suffer in silence.”
“When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.”
“Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately, it kills all its pupils.”
“The only thing I regret in life is not telling you I love you often enough.”
“Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud.”
“Youth is the Lord of Life. Youth has a kingdom waiting for it. Every one is born a king, and most people die in exile.”
“Every man has his hour, and nobody has more than his hour.”
“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”
“It is difficult to do only one thing at a time, but it is impossible to do everything at once.”

“The chains of marriage are so heavy that it takes two to bear them, sometimes three.”
“Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”
“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
“A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.”
“Man is a creature who lives not upon bread alone, but principally by catchwords.”
“The fool wonders, the wise man asks.”
“The mind of a woman is like the puzzle of a child’s toy, simple at first glance, but infinitely complex to those who would seek to understand it.”
“I may not always be right, but I am never wrong.”
“Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives.”
“The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.”
“Every challenge faced is an opportunity to grow.”
“The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.”
“Virtue is but heroic bravery, to do the thing thought to be true in spite of all enemies of flesh or spirit, in spite of all temptations or menaces.”
“A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.”
“It is not from nature, but from education and habits, that our wants are chiefly derived.”
“A gentleman is a man who can play the accordion but doesn’t.”
“Man is not made to understand life, but to live it.”
“A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”
“There is nothing so annoying as to have two people talking when you’re busy interrupting.”
“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.”
“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”
“Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.”
“The art of living is to know how to believe in oneself.”
“Death is the only true friend we have.”
“To live without faith, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for truth, is not to live but to get along; we must never just get along.”
“Music possesses a singular magic. It has the power to make us forget ourselves and our petty troubles.”
“We are all alike, on the inside.”
“In life, one should be like a river. It keeps moving forward, never looking back.”