He Who Gets Slapped quotes

You are stupid, Mancini. What do you do it for? In a didactic tone. You are fearfully stupid, Mancini. Why does she need to learn? Since she is here she need never know anything about that life. Don’t you understand? What is geography?

If I were the government I would forbid artists to read books. Let them read the posters, that’s enough.

During Briquet’s speech, the two clowns and another actor enter. They sit down wearily.

Find something—find something … Eureka!

Eureka⁠—I shall be among you, he who gets slapped.

General laughter. Even Briquet smiles.

Comically. He says he wants more—The gentleman smiles, rubbing his cheek.

So sudden.⁠—Without waiting.⁠—How funny⁠—you didn’t hurt me, and yet my cheek burns.

Again there is loud laughter. The clowns cackle like ducks, hens, cocks; they bark. Zinida says something to Briquet, casts a glance toward Bezano, and goes out. Mancini assumes a bored air and looks at his watch. The two actresses go out.

Yes, something like that. Why can’t you imagine that I have no name? Can’t I lose it as I might lose my hat? Or let someone else take it by mistake?

When a stray dog comes to you, you don’t ask his name⁠—you simply give him another. Let me be that dog.

Laughing. He—the Dog!

Yes, something like that. Why can’t you imagine that I have no name?

Can’t I lose it as I might lose my hat?

Or let someone else take it by mistake? When a stray dog comes to you, you don’t ask his name—you simply give him another. Let me be that dog. Laughing. He—the Dog!

You are beautiful, like a queen. You are almost as beautiful as Consuelo. But I don’t like your eyes.

Your eyes command me to love you⁠—and I don’t like to be commanded. I am afraid of you.

Do I command, Bezano? No—only implore.

Please never tell me any more that you love me. I don’t want it. Otherwise I will quit.

You pronounce the word love as if you were cracking me with your whip.

You know it is disgusting—

Don’t mock! The gods don’t like such, empty laughter from beautiful lips.

The gods grow lonely and die, when they are not recognized.

Oh, Consuelo! Oh, great joy and love! Do recognize this god, and accept him. Think a moment, one day a god suddenly went crazy!

Didn’t you understand that you are a queen, and I a fool who is in love with his queen?

Don’t you know, Consuelo, that every queen has a fool, and he is always in love with her, and they always beat him for it. He Who Gets Slapped.

Yes, every queen. Beauty has her fool. Wisdom, too. Oh, how many fools she has! Her court is overcrowded with enamoured fools, and the sound of slaps does not cease, even through the night.

Yes, every queen.

Beauty has her fool. Wisdom, too. Oh, how many fools she has!

Her court is overcrowded with enamoured fools, and the sound of slaps does not cease, even through the night. But I never received such a sweet slap as the one given by my little queen. Someone appears at the door.

I have been looking for you, for half a year—through many countries. And suddenly, today—by accident, indeed—I had no acquaintances here, and I went to the circus. We must talk things over … He, I implore you. Silence.

Here is a shadow I cannot lose!

To talk things over! Do you really think we still have something to talk over? All right. Leave your address with the porter, and I will let you know when you can see me. Now get out. Proudly. I am busy.

Speaking slowly. What a comedy. How marvellously everything is turned about in this world: the robbed proves to be a robber, and the robber is complaining of theft, and cursing! Laughs. Listen, I was mistaken. You are not my shadow.

You are the crowd. If you live by my creations, you hate me; if you breathe my breath, you are choking with anger.

And choking with anger, hating me, you still walk slowly on the trail of my ideas. But you are advancing backward, advancing backward, comrade! Oh, what a marvellous comedy! Walking and smiling. Tell me, would you be relieved if I really had died?

You are not my shadow. You are the crowd. If you live by my creations, you hate me; if you breathe my breath, you are choking with anger. And choking with anger, hating me, you still walk slowly on the trail of my ideas.

But you are advancing backward, advancing backward, comrade!

Oh, what a marvellous comedy! Walking and smiling. Tell me, would you be relieved if I really had died?

Indifferently. Or his leg, or his back; they all have to break something. Laughs.

They are breakable toys.

Listening to the music. I’ll be lonesome without them, Father! The Baron promised to make a ring for me to gallop over as much as I want. He’s not lying?

Hardly. Why should she know it? Yes, she is a girl from Corsica whose parents are unknown. He preferred to use her for business rather than. … But according to the law, she is his daughter, Countess Veronica Mancini.

It is nice, to have everything done according to law, isn’t it, Zinida?

But it is curious there is more blue blood in her than in this Mancini. One would say that it was she who found him on the street, and made him a count and her father. Count Mancini! Laughs.

When did you see a beauty clad in simple cotton? If this one does not buy her, another will.

They buy off everything that is beautiful.

Yes, I know. For the first ten years she will be a sad beauty, who will attract the eyes of the poor man on the sidewalk: afterward she will begin to paint a little around her eyes and smile, and then will take—

Then another one, Baron.

Let us drink to those who know how to wait longer, until they get it.

I do not accept any toasts which I do not understand. Say it more simply.

But I want to drink with the Baron. What can be simpler? Simpler?

Baron, let us drink to the very small distance which will always remain ’twixt the cup and the lip!

Spills his wine, and laughs.