--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Greek tragedy, they fall from great…" description: "\"In Greek tragedy, they fall from great heights. In noir, they fall from the curb.\" — Dennis Lehane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/dennis-lehane-1503_curb_in-greek-tragedy-they-fall-from-great-he_1747109.jpg" --- # In Greek tragedy, they fall from great heights. In noir… ![“In Greek tragedy, they fall from great heights. In noir, they fall from the curb.” quote by Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/dennis-lehane-1503_curb_in-greek-tragedy-they-fall-from-great-he_1747109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/dennis-lehane-1503_curb_in-greek-tragedy-they-fall-from-great-he_1747109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/dennis-lehane-1503_curb_in-greek-tragedy-they-fall-from-great-he_1747109.jpg) > “In Greek tragedy, they fall from great heights. In noir, they fall from the curb.” [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters in tragedy and noir experience downfall from lofty or mundane origins, highlighting vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Falls from heights or streets show vulnerability. Key Takeaway Recognize and mitigate personal downfall. Themes tragedy noir downfall vulnerability Mood somber reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - career collapse - public scandal - relationship loss Key Concepts human frailty social descent Questions to Reflect On - How do you prevent a fall from becoming permanent? - What supports can you build to catch you? A Different Perspective Not all falls are inevitable; circumstances can be altered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greek tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-tragedy/) [Noir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noir/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) ## Related quotes > [When death comes too near, comedy and tragedy fall silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/when-death-comes-too-near-comedy-and-tragedy-fall-silent/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Tragedy--to fall in love with a face, and marry the whole woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-tuwim/tragedy-to-fall-in-love-with-a-face-and-marry-the-whole-woman/) [Julian Tuwim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-tuwim/) > [“Rather than a great tragedy, the fall of Rome was the single most beneficial event in the rise of Western civilization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/rather-than-a-great-tragedy-the-fall-of-rome-was-the-single-most/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [“For my money, noir boils down to bleak humanism – or, to put it more plainly: shit options, bad decisions, and dire consequences. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-f-holm/for-my-money-noir-boils-down-to-bleak-humanism-or-to-put-it-more/) [Chris F. Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-f-holm/) > [“I'm a detective, but nuns could stonewall Sam Spade into an asylum”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/i-m-a-detective-but-nuns-could-stonewall-sam-spade-into-an-asylum/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“When a child disappears, the space she’d occupied is immediately filled with dozens of people. And these people—relatives, friends, police officers, reporters from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/when-a-child-disappears-the-space-she-d-occupied-is-immediately/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [The ‘I’ character in journalism is almost pure invention. Unlike the ‘I’ of autobiography, who is meant to be seen as a representation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-i-character-in-journalism-is-almost-pure-invention-unlike-the-i/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [“Again, again your mind has changed course with the wind. For you think now of godly things ignored when you worked dreadful deeds on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/again-again-your-mind-has-changed-course-with-the-wind-for-you-think/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I often teach a graduate theater seminar on Greek tragedy in performance. I usually begin by saying that no matter what technological advances occur,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/i-often-teach-a-graduate-theater-seminar-on-greek-tragedy-in/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [Literature transcends national boundaries, racial boundaries. It goes deep into the issues that concern all human beings. That is why, when people read Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/literature-transcends-national-boundaries-racial-boundaries-it-goes/) [Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/) > [“Not from Hades' black and universal lake can you lift him. Not by groaning, not by prayers. Yet you run yourself out in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/not-from-hades-black-and-universal-lake-can-you-lift-him-not-by/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“You don't know what your life is, nor what you're doing, nor who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/you-don-t-know-what-your-life-is-nor-what-you-re-doing-nor-who-you-are/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“What greater sorrow than being forced to leave behind my native earth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/what-greater-sorrow-than-being-forced-to-leave-behind-my-native-earth/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“In theater, that's the whole thing about Greek tragedy. You take the audience through the—like, the realest shit, the tearing out the eyes or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-redgate/in-theater-that-s-the-whole-thing-about-greek-tragedy-you-take-the/) [Riley Redgate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-redgate/) > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) ## More by Dennis Lehane > [He wondered if this was what clinical depression felt like, a total numbness, a weary lack of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/he-wondered-if-this-was-what-clinical-depression-felt-like-a-total/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [I held her, he wanted to say, and if I knew for certain that all it would take to hold her again would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/i-held-her-he-wanted-to-say-and-if-i-knew-for-certain-that-all-it/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“Everyone I know lies, breaks their word, and has perfectly legitimate excuses for why they do. Except you. Haven't you ever noticed that? Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/everyone-i-know-lies-breaks-their-word-and-has-perfectly-legitimate/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“If a man was lucky, he was moving toward something his whole life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/if-a-man-was-lucky-he-was-moving-toward-something-his-whole-life/) [dennis lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“After my daughter was born, I'd considered buying a shotgun to ward off potention suitors fourteen or so years up the road. Now, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/after-my-daughter-was-born-i-d-considered-buying-a-shotgun-to-ward/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“I once again felt an odd flush of admiration for my partner's faith in a religion I had long ago abandoned. She doesn't advertise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/i-once-again-felt-an-odd-flush-of-admiration-for-my-partner-s-faith/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“And she was-definitely-a woman who did not shrink from gauntlets, but stepped up to them, and said, Okay, bring it. Bring your worst. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/and-she-was-definitely-a-woman-who-did-not-shrink-from-gauntlets-but/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“Jimmy looked back over at his wife, and Celeste could feel the tenderest of aches in the look. She could feel another teardrop piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/jimmy-looked-back-over-at-his-wife-and-celeste-could-feel-the/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“She told him that he had the most beautiful voice she'd ever heard, that it sounded like whiskey and wood smoke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/she-told-him-that-he-had-the-most-beautiful-voice-she-d-ever-heard/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [My daughter squealed again and both Bubba and I winced. It’s not an attractive sound, that. It’s high-pitched and it enters your ear canals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/my-daughter-squealed-again-and-both-bubba-and-i-winced-it-s-not-an/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“It’s been a complicated decade for me.” She”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/it-s-been-a-complicated-decade-for-me-she/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“The only people who ask questions like ‘Did he want to be something besides a bartender?’ are people who can become whatever they want.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/the-only-people-who-ask-questions-like-did-he-want-to-be-something/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“Love, impossible, yet there was no mistaking it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/love-impossible-yet-there-was-no-mistaking-it/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“She blew a stream of smoke up at the empty clotheslines. 'These silly dreams you have when you're young. I mean, what, Katie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/she-blew-a-stream-of-smoke-up-at-the-empty-clotheslines-these-silly/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“He looked back at the page, got one last glimpse before the match blew itself out. Going to find you today, Andrew. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/he-looked-back-at-the-page-got-one-last-glimpse-before-the-match-blew/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) [Explore all 231 Dennis Lehane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) ## More Curb quotes > [And after hearing what our Church can say, If still our reason runs another way, That private reason 'tis more just to curb, Than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/and-after-hearing-what-our-church-can-say-if-still-our-reason-runs/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Drama is not great when it's a roll off the curb into the gutter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/drama-is-not-great-when-it-s-a-roll-off-the-curb-into-the-gutter/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [What are the aspects of yourself that line up with the character? 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I had all my rejection notices stored in a box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-received-rejection-letters-for-ten-years-one-on-a-napkin-written-in/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I did about 10-12 national commercials and then got one line parts in things like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and the show 'The Unit.' Got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-did-about-10-12-national-commercials-and-then-got-one-line-parts-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not that I am not emotional, but I am extremely secure and curb it, as I am afraid to let go and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranbir-kapoor/it-s-not-that-i-am-not-emotional-but-i-am-extremely-secure-and-curb/) [Ranbir Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranbir-kapoor/) > [Other than my Instagram - very recently - I'm not out there. I'm not in the papers every week, I've managed to curb all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzee-rascal/other-than-my-instagram-very-recently-i-m-not-out-there-i-m-not-in/) [Dizzee Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzee-rascal/) > [The implied threat of using nuclear weapons to curb guerrillas was as absurd as to talk of using a sledge hammer to ward off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-implied-threat-of-using-nuclear-weapons-to-curb-guerrillas-was-as/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [...the great movement of apostasy being organized in every country for the establishment of a One-World Church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/the-great-movement-of-apostasy-being-organized-in-every-country-for/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [It's a real misconception that water is a problem in Africa only. 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