--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had written King Lear, I would…" description: "\"If I had written King Lear, I would regret it all my life afterwards. Because that work is so big, that its defects show as huge, its monstrous defects..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/fernando-pessoa-177_bigs_if-i-had-written-king-lear-i-would-regre_1306604.jpg" --- # If I had written King Lear, I would regret it all my life… ![“If I had written King Lear, I would regret it all my life afterwards. Because that work is so big, that its defects show as huge, its monstrous defects, things even minimal in between some scenes and their possible perfection. It's not the sun with spots; it's a broken greek statue.” quote by Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/fernando-pessoa-177_bigs_if-i-had-written-king-lear-i-would-regre_1306604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/fernando-pessoa-177_bigs_if-i-had-written-king-lear-i-would-regre_1306604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/fernando-pessoa-177_bigs_if-i-had-written-king-lear-i-would-regre_1306604.jpg) > “If I had written King Lear, I would regret it all my life afterwards. Because that work is so big, that its defects show as huge, its monstrous defects, things even minimal in between some scenes and their possible perfection. It's not the sun with spots; it's a broken greek statue.” [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regret over attempting a masterpiece like King Lear, fearing its flaws become magnified, likening it to a broken statue. **In simple terms:** Attempting great works risks exposing flaws. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection in ambitious projects. Themes art perfection self‑critique Mood thoughtful somber Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - publishing a novel - stage productions - art criticism Key Concepts legacy creative risk human limitation Questions to Reflect On - Are you afraid of creating something imperfect? - How do you balance ambition with humility? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stifle creation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-defects-4308469/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Defects Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects-things-4308470/) [Greek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [King Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-lear/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lear/) [Lear Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lear-regret-4308467/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monstrous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monstrous/) [Monstrous Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monstrous-defects-4308468/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Spots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spots/) [Statues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statues/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It isn't difficult to leave King Lear or Macbeth, but once you have gone back to yourself, you want it to be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/it-isn-t-difficult-to-leave-king-lear-or-macbeth-but-once-you-have/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [I would like to do 'King Lear.' But I would like to do it in Swedish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/i-would-like-to-do-king-lear-but-i-would-like-to-do-it-in-swedish/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) > [Hegel seems to me to be always wanting to say that things which look different are really the same. Whereas my interest is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/hegel-seems-to-me-to-be-always-wanting-to-say-that-things-which-look/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [When I closed in "King Lear" I went into a period of depression for about three weeks, and every actor I've talked to who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-langella/when-i-closed-in-king-lear-i-went-into-a-period-of-depression-for/) [Frank Langella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-langella/) > [I think William Shakespeare's like a passport through your life: as a kid hearing about a play with fairies or witches or ghosts, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-doran/i-think-william-shakespeare-s-like-a-passport-through-your-life-as-a/) [Gregory Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-doran/) > [I guess if they ever do a remake of 'Sophie's Choice,' I could play the Meryl Streep part. I've got to work on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-gottfried/i-guess-if-they-ever-do-a-remake-of-sophie-s-choice-i-could-play-the/) [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) > [I did a lot of theatre when I started out. It was the Lyceum, the Citz, the Tron and the Traverse. I came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-did-a-lot-of-theatre-when-i-started-out-it-was-the-lyceum-the-citz/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [Young screenwriters are always very frustrated when they talk to me. They say, 'How do we get to be a screenwriter?' I say, 'You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-logan/young-screenwriters-are-always-very-frustrated-when-they-talk-to-me/) [John Logan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-logan/) > [When King Lear dies in act five, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He has written, 'He dies.' No more. No fanfare, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-weyn/when-king-lear-dies-in-act-five-do-you-know-what-shakespeare-has/) [Suzanne Weyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-weyn/) > [I used to think 'King Lear' was an analysis of insanity, but I don't really think it is. When Lear is supposed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-used-to-think-king-lear-was-an-analysis-of-insanity-but-i-don-t/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I have three daughters and I find as a result I played King Lear almost without rehearsal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-have-three-daughters-and-i-find-as-a-result-i-played-king-lear/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) > [It's difficult for most people to imagine the creative process in tennis. Seemingly it's just an athletic matter of hitting the ball consistently well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-wade/it-s-difficult-for-most-people-to-imagine-the-creative-process-in/) [Virginia Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-wade/) > [“No matter how many times we read "King Lear," never shall we find the good king banging his tankard in high revelry, all woes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/no-matter-how-many-times-we-read-king-lear-never-shall-we-find-the/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [King Lear by William Shakespeare frightens me. I've never done King Lear, I guess partially because my father dwindled into dementia in his last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-doran/king-lear-by-william-shakespeare-frightens-me-i-ve-never-done-king/) [Gregory Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-doran/) ## More by Fernando Pessoa > [Everything interests me, but nothing holds me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/everything-interests-me-but-nothing-holds-me/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“If only, I feel now, if only I could be someone able to see all this as if he had no other relation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/if-only-i-feel-now-if-only-i-could-be-someone-able-to-see-all-this-as/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [What's given, in fact, always depends on the person or thing it's given to. 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I try to place words right next to my idea So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-try-to-say-what-i-feel-without-thinking-about-what-i-feel-i-try-to/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Have you ever considered, beloved other, how invisible we are to each other? We look at each other without seeing. We listen to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/have-you-ever-considered-beloved-other-how-invisible-we-are-to-each/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“To associate is to die. Only my consciousness of myself is real for me; other people are hazy phenomena in this consciousness, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/to-associate-is-to-die-only-my-consciousness-of-myself-is-real-for-me/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“When it comes to dreams, I’m no different from the errand boy and the seamstress. 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