Women

Explore 83 quotes about Women

Women are like tricks by sleight of hand,
Which, to admire, we should not understand.

William Congreve

Read Love for Love at Project Gutenberg

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Topic

Incomprehensibility of women Men and women Women

Speaker

Valentine

Author

William Congreve

Source

Love for Love

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1695 1690s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Congreve, William. Love for Love. 30 Apr. 1695, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, England, UK, act 4, sc. 21.

Current Citation

Congreve, William. "Love for Love." The Way of the World and Other Plays, edited by Eric S. Rump. Penguin Classics, 2006, act 4, sc. 21.

A woman watches her body uneasily, as though it were an unreliable ally in the battle for love.

Leonard Cohen

The Favourite Game

More information about this quote

Topic

Women's bodies Women Patriarchy

Author

Leonard Cohen

Source

The Favourite Game

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1963 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Cohen, Leonard. The Favourite Game. Secker and Warburg, 1963, bk. 3, ch. 8.

What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?
The world would split open.

Muriel Rukeyser

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Topic

Women

Author

Muriel Rukeyser

Language

English

Time

1968 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Rukeyser, Muriel. "Kathe Kollwitz." The Speed of Darkness: Poems. Random House, 1968, sec. 3.

It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.

Raymond Chandler

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Topic

Blondes Beautiful women Women

Author

Raymond Chandler

Source

Farewell, My Lovely

Medium

Novel

Genre

Detective fiction

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Chandler, Raymond. Farewell, My Lovely. Alfred A. Knopf, 1940, ch. 13.

There are only two things more beautiful than a good gun—a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere.

Red River

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Topic

Guns Watches Women

Speaker

Cherry Valance

Actor

John Ireland

Source

Red River

Medium

Film

Genre

Western (film) Western

Language

English

Time

1948 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Red River. Directed by Howard Hawks, Monterey Productions, 1948.

Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man-there has never been such another... Who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as "The women, God help us", or "The ladies, God bless them!"

Dorothy L. Sayers

More information about this quote

Topic

Patriarchy Gender relations Women

Author

Dorothy L. Sayers

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1946 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Sayers, Dorothy. "The Human-Not-Quite-Human." Unpopular Opinions. Victor Gollancz, 1946.

Why can't a woman be more like a man?
Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historically fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Why can't a woman be like that?

Professor Henry Higgins

My Fair Lady

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Topic

Men and women Men Women

Speaker

Professor Henry Higgins

Actor

Rex Harrison

Source

A Hymn to Him My Fair Lady

Medium

Song Film

Genre

Musical comedy (film) Musical (film) Musical comedy Musical

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1964 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

"A Hymn to Him." My Fair Lady. Directed by George Cuko, performed by Rex Smith, Warner Bros., 1964.

What mighty ills have not been done by woman!
Who was 't betrayed the Capitol? -A woman!
Who lost Mark Antony the world? -A woman!
Who was the cause of a long ten years' war,
And laid at last old Troy in ashes? -Woman!
Destructive, damnable, deceitful woman!

Thomas Otway

The Orphan

More information about this quote

Topic

Misogyny Women

Speaker

Castalio

Author

Thomas Otway

Source

The Orphan

Genre

Tragedy (play) Tragedy

Language

English

Time

1680 1680s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Otway, Thomas. The Orphan. Performed by Elizabeth Barry and Thomas Betterton and Thomas Gillow and John Wiltshire and Henry Norris and William Smith and Thomas Percival and Margaret Osborne and Joseph Williams. 1680, Dorset Garden Theatre, London, England, UK, act 3, sc. 1.

O Woman! in our hours of ease,
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please,
And variable as the shade
By the light quivering upon aspen made;
When pain and anguish wring the brow,
A ministering angel thou!

Sir Walter Scott

Redgauntlet

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Topic

Nature of women Women

Author

Sir Walter Scott

Source

Redgauntlet

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1808 1800s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Scott, Walter, Sir. Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field. Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co./London: William Miller and John Murray, 1808, canto 6, st. 30.

That woman's physical structure and the performance of maternal functions place her at a disadvantage in the struggle for subsistence is obvious. This is especially true when the burdens of motherhood are upon her... As healthy mothers are essential to vigorous offspring, the physical wellbeing of woman becomes an object of public interest and care in order to preserve the strength and vigor of the race.

David J. Brewer

Muller v. Oregon

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Topic

Women's rights Women

Author

David J. Brewer

Source

Muller v. Oregon

Medium

Supreme Court opinion Legal opinion

Genre

Legal writing

Language

English

Time

1908 1900s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Brewer, David J. United States, Supreme Court. Muller v. Oregon. United States Reports, vol. 208, 24 Feb. 1908, pp. 412-423. Justia, supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/208/412/.

Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you're driving at another.

George Bernard Shaw

Pygmalion

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Topic

Women Gender relations Men and women

Speaker

Henry Higgins

Author

George Bernard Shaw

Source

Pygmalion

Medium

Play

Language

English

Time

1913 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. 16 Oct. 1913, Hofburg Theatre, Vienna, Germany, act. 2.

Current Citation

Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. Penguin, 2005, act 2.

The pleasure of talking is the inextinguishable passion of woman.

Alain René Lesage 

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Topic

Women Talking too much

Author

Alain René Lesage 

Source

Gil Blas

Medium

Novel

Genre

Picaresque

Language

French

Time

1724 1720s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Lesage, Alain-Rene. L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane [History of Gil Blas de Santillane]. Paris: Pierre Ribou, 1724, bk. 7, ch. 7.

Sweet is revenge—especially to women.

Lord Byron

Don Juan

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Topic

Revenge Women

Author

Lord Byron

Source

Don Juan

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1819 1810s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lord Byron. Don Juan. London: John Murray, 1819, canto 1, st. 124.

Current Citation

Lord Byron. "Don Juan." Lord Byron: The Major Works, edited by Jerome J. McGann. Oxford University Press, 2008, canto 1, st. 124.

Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

More information about this quote

Topic

Women's equality Women

Author

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Source

USA Today

Medium

Interview Newspaper

Language

English

Time

2009 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Ginsburg, Ruth Bader. "Ginsburg: Court Needs Another Woman." Interviewed by Joan Biskupic. USA Today, 5 May 2009, usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2009-05-05-ruthginsburg_N.htm.

How fickle is woman.

Rhett Butler

Gone with the Wind

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Topic

Nature of women Women

Speaker

Rhett Butler

Actor

Clark Gable

Source

Gone with the Wind

Medium

Film

Genre

Epic (film) Historical romance (film) Epic Historical romance

Language

English

Time

1939 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Gone with the Wind. Directed by Victor Fleming. Selznick International Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939.

Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.

Oscar Wilde

More information about this quote

Topic

Women Gender relations Men and women

Author

Oscar Wilde

Source

The Sphinx Without a Secret Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: The Portrait of Mr. W.H. and Other Stories

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1891 1890s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Wilde, Oscar. "The Sphinx Without a Secret." Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: The Portrait of Mr. W.H. and Other Stories. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1891.

Current Citation

Wilde, Oscar. "The Sphinx Without a Secret." The Model Millionaire: Stories. Harper Perennial, 2009.

A woman's time of opportunity is short, and if she doesn't seize it, no one wants to marry her, and she sits watching for omens.

Lysistrata

Lysistrata

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Topic

Women and aging Women

Speaker

Lysistrata

Author

Aristophanes

Source

Lysistrata

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Language

Greek

Time

414 BC 410s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aristophanes. Λυσιστράτη [Lysistrata]. c. 411 BC, Athens, Greece.

Current Citation

Aristophanes. "Lysistrata." Lysistrata and Other Plays. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Women can't forgive failure.

Anton Chekhov

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Topic

Men and women Women

Speaker

Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev

Author

Anton Chekhov

Source

The Seagull

Medium

Play

Language

Russian

Time

1896 1890s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Chekhov, Anton. Чайка [The Seagull]. 17 Oct. 1896, Alexandrinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, act. 2.

Current Citation

Chekhov, Anton. "The Seagull." Plays, translated by Peter Carson. Penguin, 2002, act 2.

Wife and Servant are the same,
But only differ in the name.

Mary Chudleigh

To the Ladies

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Topic

Oppression of women Men and women Marriage Women

Author

Mary Chudleigh

Source

To the Ladies

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1703 1700s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Chudleigh, Mary. "To the Ladies." Poems on Several Occasions. London: Bernard Lintott, 1703, I. 1.

Current Citation

Chudleigh, Mary. "To the Ladies." The Poems and Prose of Mary, Lady Chudleigh. Oxford University Press, 1993, I. 1.

It would be an endless task to trace the variety of meannesses, cares, and sorrows, into which women are plunged by the prevailing opinion, that they were created rather to feel than reason.

Mary Wollstonecraft

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

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Topic

Oppression of women Women

Author

Mary Wollstonecraft

Source

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Genre

Political literature Feminist literature

Language

English

Time

1792 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. Boston: Thomas and Andrews/London: J. Johnson, 1792, ch. 4.

Current Citation

Wollstonecraft, Mary. "A Vindication of the Rights of Women." A Vindication of the Rights of Women and A Vindication of the Rights of Men, edited by Janet Todd. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 4.