---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is tragedy. The great war stories are…"
description: "\"War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A Farewell to Arms,' 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' T..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg"
---

#  War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's…

![“War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A Farewell to Arms,' 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' Those are some of the greatest tragedies.” quote by David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg)

> “War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A Farewell to Arms,' 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' Those are some of the greatest tragedies.”

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War is depicted as a tragic failure of diplomacy, echoed in classic literature.

**In simple terms:** War is a tragic outcome of failed diplomacy.

Key Takeaway

Seek diplomatic solutions before conflict.

Themes

war tragedy diplomacy literature

Mood

somber critical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- international negotiations
- policy making
- peacebuilding

Key Concepts

conflict resolution human cost historical cycles

Questions to Reflect On

- What diplomatic steps could prevent war?
- How do literary works shape our view of conflict?

A Different Perspective

Diplomacy can be limited by political interests.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Farewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farewell/) [Farewell to arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farewell-to-arms/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peacebuilding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peacebuilding/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tragedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedies/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-stories/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm not so naive as to think that everybody always succeeds, right? I mean, half of Shakespeare's stories are tragedies - right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-saylor/i-m-not-so-naive-as-to-think-that-everybody-always-succeeds-right-i/)

[Michael J. Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-saylor/)

> [“Love can be a very frightening thing.’ ‘That is why most great love stories are tragedies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/love-can-be-a-very-frightening-thing-that-is-why-most-great-love/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [That is why most great love stories are tragedies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/that-is-why-most-great-love-stories-are-tragedies/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“One of the greatest tragedies I can think of is for a person to die having never fully questioned the life he was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-i-can-think-of-is-for-a-person-to-die/)

[Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/)

> [The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare...neither knew chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-boynton/the-greatest-tragedies-were-written-by-the-greeks-and-shakespeare/)

[Sandra Boynton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-boynton/)

> [“One of the greatest tragedies of my life is the death of Lucien de Rubempré… It haunts me in my moments of pleasure. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-of-my-life-is-the-death-of-lucien-de/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Some of the greatest tragedies of life are unrecognized oppurtunities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-k-brown/some-of-the-greatest-tragedies-of-life-are-unrecognized-oppurtunities/)

[Tonny K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonny-k-brown/)

> [One of the greatest tragedies in life is to watch potential die untapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-in-life-is-to-watch-potential-die/)

[Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/)

> [“The Flyboy who got away became president of the United States. What might have been for Warren Earl, Dick, Marve, Glenn, Floyd, Jimmy, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bradley/the-flyboy-who-got-away-became-president-of-the-united-states-what/)

[James Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bradley/)

> [The bells cease, and the power goes from me, and I descend again to the world of the living; and if in some foolish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/the-bells-cease-and-the-power-goes-from-me-and-i-descend-again-to-the/)

[Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/)

> [War's tragedy is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/war-s-tragedy-is-that-it-uses-man-s-best-to-do-man-s-worst/)

[Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/)

> [War is a tragedy. It's not pretty, and in my opinion, there are no winners. Everybody's a victim, from the one who's suffering pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-ramirez/war-is-a-tragedy-it-s-not-pretty-and-in-my-opinion-there-are-no/)

[Edgar Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-ramirez/)

> [“One of the greatest tragedies in mankind's entire history may be that morality was hijacked by religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-in-mankind-s-entire-history-may-be-that/)

[Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/)

> [One of the greatest tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-of-life-is-the-murder-of-a-beautiful/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Christians can trust God to redeem even the greatest of tragedies and the most desperate of situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/christians-can-trust-god-to-redeem-even-the-greatest-of-tragedies-and/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

## More by David Mamet

> [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [When I started out I was a failed actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-i-started-out-i-was-a-failed-actor/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/we-must-have-a-pie-stress-cannot-exist-in-the-presence-of-a-pie/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [“We cannot live in peace without Law. And though law cannot be perfect, it may be just if it is written in ignorance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/we-cannot-live-in-peace-without-law-and-though-law-cannot-be-perfect/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/films-have-degenerated-to-their-original-operation-as-carnival/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [The Oscars demonstrate the will of the people to control and judge those they have elected to stand above them (much, perhaps, as in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-oscars-demonstrate-the-will-of-the-people-to-control-and-judge/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [I know very well what it is to be out of work and to be cheated by employers and I know what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/i-know-very-well-what-it-is-to-be-out-of-work-and-to-be-cheated-by/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [Hitchcock denigrated American films, saying they were all 'pictures of people talking' - as, indeed, most of them are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/hitchcock-denigrated-american-films-saying-they-were-all-pictures-of/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [“Life in the movie business is like the beginning of a new love affair: it's full of surprises, and you're constantly getting fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/life-in-the-movie-business-is-like-the-beginning-of-a-new-love-affair/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [“How was her crumbcake? oh.. from the store... …”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/how-was-her-crumbcake-oh-from-the-store/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [A dramatic experience concerned with the mundane may inform but it cannot release; and one concerned essentially with the aesthetic politics of its creators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/a-dramatic-experience-concerned-with-the-mundane-may-inform-but-it/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [The product of the artist has become less important than the fact of the artist. We wish to absorb this person. We wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-product-of-the-artist-has-become-less-important-than-the-fact-of/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [In a world we find terrifying, we ratify that which doesn't threaten us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/in-a-world-we-find-terrifying-we-ratify-that-which-doesn-t-threaten-us/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [“As a youth I enjoyed — indeed, like most of my contemporaries, revered — the agitprop plays of Brecht, and his indictments of Capitalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/as-a-youth-i-enjoyed-indeed-like-most-of-my-contemporaries-revered/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

[Explore all 278 David Mamet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

## More Arms quotes

> [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/)

Brian Reade

> [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/)

[Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/)

[Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/)

> [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/)

[Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/)

> [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/)

[Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/)

> [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/)

[Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/)

> [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/)

[Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/)

> [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/)

[Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/)

Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A Farewell to Arms,' 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' Those are some of the greatest tragedies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Mamet"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are-tragedies-it-s-the-failure/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arms"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are-tragedies-it-s-the-failure/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/david-mamet-1178_arms_war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are_2754699.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A…” — David Mamet",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Mamet",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "War is tragedy. The great war...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are-tragedies-it-s-the-failure/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/war-is-tragedy-the-great-war-stories-are-tragedies-it-s-the-failure/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
