--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: every actor knows that tragedy, being…" description: "\"every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and inevitable, is taxing - but comedy, which depends on the element of surprise, is the hardest act of al..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg" --- # every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and… ![“every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and inevitable, is taxing - but comedy, which depends on the element of surprise, is the hardest act of all.” quote by Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg) > “every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and inevitable, is taxing - but comedy, which depends on the element of surprise, is the hardest act of all.” [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tragedy follows a predictable path, while comedy relies on surprise, making it the toughest to execute. **In simple terms:** Comedy is harder because it needs surprise. Key Takeaway Master timing and unexpected twists. Themes theatre comedy challenge Mood humorous analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up - scriptwriting - improvisation - teaching comedy Key Concepts Narrative structure surprise element Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance surprise with coherence? - What techniques keep comedy fresh? A Different Perspective Surprise can be risky and may fall flat. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-knows-1264415/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-depends-1094421/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Element of surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-of-surprise/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Knows Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-tragedy-3309852/) [Linear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linear/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-hardest-5188406/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Tragedy Linear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy-linear-5188405/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody knows the tragedy of a small island divided against itself better than a Cypriot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/nobody-knows-the-tragedy-of-a-small-island-divided-against-itself/) [Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/) > [“Nobody knows what to do when there’s a tragedy. Nobody practices for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-thompson/nobody-knows-what-to-do-when-there-s-a-tragedy-nobody-practices-for-it/) [Jean Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-thompson/) > [Tragedy massages the human ego even as comedy deflates it. ... Tragedy pits us against large foes and the trip wire is our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/tragedy-massages-the-human-ego-even-as-comedy-deflates-it-tragedy/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [I feel more comfortable in drama. Comedy's is a high-wire act. I find it stressful. It's a precision science, in a way. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-feel-more-comfortable-in-drama-comedy-s-is-a-high-wire-act-i-find/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [“There are tragedies and there are comedies, aren’t there? And they are often more the same than different, rather like men and women, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/there-are-tragedies-and-there-are-comedies-aren-t-there-and-they-are/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [A good actor knows exactly what the camera wants, what the sound wants, where to find the light and how to tell a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/a-good-actor-knows-exactly-what-the-camera-wants-what-the-sound-wants/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [Every actor knows what unemployment is like, and knows what long periods of unemployment are like, unless you're spectacularly lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bonnar/every-actor-knows-what-unemployment-is-like-and-knows-what-long/) [Mark Bonnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bonnar/) > [One of my favourite sorts of actors...the rat actor. The rat actor knows his job and gets it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/one-of-my-favourite-sorts-of-actors-the-rat-actor-the-rat-actor-knows/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [An actor knows much more about a character than the character knows about himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/an-actor-knows-much-more-about-a-character-than-the-character-knows/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [We are not what we seem. We are more than what we seem. The actor knows that. And because the actor knows that hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/we-are-not-what-we-seem-we-are-more-than-what-we-seem-the-actor-knows/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [All actors do that. Should do that and do that. For the most part. I say all actors. I'm exaggerating, but you know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-keitel/all-actors-do-that-should-do-that-and-do-that-for-the-most-part-i-say/) [Harvey Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-keitel/) > [By the time an actor knows how to act any sort of part he is often too old to act any but a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/by-the-time-an-actor-knows-how-to-act-any-sort-of-part-he-is-often/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [ Denzel \[Washington\] just knows the actor. He knows the process, and you don't often get that. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/denzel-washington-just-knows-the-actor-he-knows-the-process-and-you/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [Acting can be a very cruel mistress. It's not a meritocracy. In other walks of life, by being good at what you do, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/acting-can-be-a-very-cruel-mistress-it-s-not-a-meritocracy-in-other/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [If an actor knows how to milk a cow, I always know it will not be difficult to be in business with him,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/if-an-actor-knows-how-to-milk-a-cow-i-always-know-it-will-not-be/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) ## More by Robin Morgan > [Oppression is something that one group of people commits against another group specifically because of a threatening characteristic shared by the latter group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/oppression-is-something-that-one-group-of-people-commits-against/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Carry yourself as one who will change the world, because you will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/carry-yourself-as-one-who-will-change-the-world-because-you-will/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [It isn't until you begin to fight in your own cause that you become really committed to winning and become a genuine ally of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/it-isn-t-until-you-begin-to-fight-in-your-own-cause-that-you-become/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Where else could one find such a perfect combination of American values -- racism, militarism, capitalism -- all packaged in one 'ideal' symbol, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/where-else-could-one-find-such-a-perfect-combination-of-american/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [The "Otherizing" of women is the oldest oppression known to our species, and it's the model, the template, for all other oppressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/the-otherizing-of-women-is-the-oldest-oppression-known-to-our-species/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [The Confucian concept and Chinese ideograms for 'woman' and for 'slave' are the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/the-confucian-concept-and-chinese-ideograms-for-woman-and-for-slave/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Knowledge is power. Information is power. The secreting or hoarding of knowledge or information may be an act of tyranny camouflaged as humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/knowledge-is-power-information-is-power-the-secreting-or-hoarding-of/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Don't accept rides from strange men, and remember that all men are strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/don-t-accept-rides-from-strange-men-and-remember-that-all-men-are/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Your life is the one place you have to spend yourself fully - wild - generous, drastic in an unrationed profligacy of self...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/your-life-is-the-one-place-you-have-to-spend-yourself-fully-wild/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [A genuine Left doesn't consider anyone's suffering irrelevant or titillating; nor does it function as a microcosm of capitalist economy, with men competing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/a-genuine-left-doesn-t-consider-anyone-s-suffering-irrelevant-or/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [No matter how expected, death is always the ultimate surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/no-matter-how-expected-death-is-always-the-ultimate-surprise/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Clarity of language is the first casualty of authoritarianism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/clarity-of-language-is-the-first-casualty-of-authoritarianism/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [... a phallocentric culture is more likely to begin its censorship purges with books on pelvic self-examination for women or bookscontaining lyrical paeans to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/a-phallocentric-culture-is-more-likely-to-begin-its-censorship-purges/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [Listen - life is really going on, right now, around us. Do you see it? Sometimes I lose it but if I sit still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/listen-life-is-really-going-on-right-now-around-us-do-you-see-it/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [We can't destroy the inequities between men and women until we destroy marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/we-can-t-destroy-the-inequities-between-men-and-women-until-we/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) [Explore all 75 Robin Morgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. 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We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and inevitable, is taxing - but comedy, which depends on the element of surprise, is the hardest act of all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robin Morgan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-linear-and-inevitable-is-taxing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-linear-and-inevitable-is-taxing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09f/robin-morgan-9036_actors_every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-lin_3070035.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“every actor knows that tragedy, being linear and inevitable, is taxing - but comedy, which depends on the…” — Robin Morgan", "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": "Robin Morgan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "every actor knows that tragedy, being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-linear-and-inevitable-is-taxing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/every-actor-knows-that-tragedy-being-linear-and-inevitable-is-taxing/#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 } } ] } ```