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Harold Pinter Biography

Harold Pinter, Playwright
Occup.Playwright
FromEngland
SpousesVivien Merchant (1956-1980)
Lady Antonia Fraser (1980)
BornOctober 10, 1930
London, England, U.K.
DiedDecember 24, 2008
London, England, U.K.
Aged78 years
Early Life as well as Education
Harold Pinter was born upon October 10, 1930, in Hackney, London, England, to Hyman and also Frances Pinter, who were of Eastern European Jewish descent. Maturing in a working-class family members, Pinter created a solid sense of social justice, which would certainly later affect his work as a playwright.

Pinter participated in Hackney Downs School, where he was an established student, mastering both academics and sports. There, he found his love for acting, joining the school dramatization club and also showing up in several productions. In 1948, he registered in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), but left after just 2 terms, unhappy with the institution's emphasis on classical cinema. He proceeded his movie theater education by examining acting at London's Central School of Speech as well as Drama.

Early Career and also Theater
In the early 1950s, Pinter began his professional acting career under the phase name David Baron, tackling functions in repertory cinema companies in England as well as Ireland. During this time, he was revealed to a wide range of dramatic works and also acquired beneficial experience as a performer.

Pinter's very first play, "The Room", premiered at the University of Bristol in 1957. His distinct style, defined by his use discussion, stops briefly, as well as ambiguity, quickly began to garner attention. His very first full-length play, "The Birthday Party", premiered in 1958 however initially got unfavorable reviews. Nonetheless, a positive review from movie critic Harold Hobson helped the play gain recognition and also establish Pinter as an essential new voice in British movie theater.

Over the following five years, Pinter created numerous plays, a few of that include "The Caretaker" (1960), "The Homecoming" (1965), "Old Times" (1971), "No Man's Land" (1975), and "Betrayal" (1978). His work as a playwright made him the nickname "the Poet of the Pause" because of his careful use of silence and also minimalism to produce tension.

Political Activism and Philanthropy
In addition to his operate in movie theater, Pinter was a passionate political protestor, opposing various battles as well as supporting for civils rights, nuclear disarmament, and freedom of expression. He belonged to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and also the International PEN, a company dedicated to advertising literary liberty and also civils rights.

In 2005, Pinter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, with the citation calling him the "master of the modern stage". In his approval speech, he slammed the United States and also United Kingdom's foreign policy, specifically their participation in the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout his life, Pinter was an energetic benefactor, supporting different charities and also creates, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, and also Amnesty International.

Personal Life and also Death
Harold Pinter was married two times. In 1956, he wed actress Vivien Merchant, with whom he had a son, Daniel. The pair separated in 1975 because of Pinter's affair with historian as well as writer Lady Antonia Fraser, whom he ultimately wed in 1980. Pinter as well as Fraser remained together until his fatality.

Pinter passed away of liver cancer on December 24, 2008, at the age of 78. His fatality was consulted with a profusion of homages from around the globe, as he was remembered both as a master dramatist and an influential voice for social justice.

Tradition
Harold Pinter's effect on the world of theater is enormous, as well as his plays continue to be performed and researched worldwide. His jobs have actually been converted right into over 40 languages, and also his distinct style of writing has affected generations of playwrights. The term "Pinteresque" is currently utilized to describe situations marked by extreme uncertainty, stress, and also worried silences, a testament to the special power of his writing.

In 2010, the Comedy Theatre in London was renamed the Harold Pinter Theatre in his honor, guaranteeing that his legacy will certainly survive on in the landscape of British theater.

Our collection contains 34 quotes who is written / told by Harold.

Related authors: Alan Bates (Actor), David Walliams (Actor), Don Was (Musician), Tom Hiddleston (Actor), Daniel Craig (Actor), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Antonia Fraser (Author)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: Harold Pinter first full-length play
    A: The Birthday Party (1957)
  • Q: Harold Pinter as an absurd dramatist
    A: Pinter's works were deeply influenced by the Theatre of the Absurd, exploring themes of alienation, existentialism, and the human condition.
  • Q: What is Harold Pinter observation on poetry?
    A: Pinter believed that poetry could capture the essence of human experience in a concise, powerful way, and often incorporated poetic language into his plays.
  • Q: Harold Pinter as a modern dramatist
    A: Pinter was a key figure in 20th-century British theatre, known for his innovative use of language, ambiguous settings, and complex characters.
  • Q: The homecoming Harold Pinter characters
    A: The main characters include Max, Lenny, Sam, Teddy, Ruth, and Joey.
  • Q: How old was Harold Pinter?
    A: He became 78 years old
Harold Pinter Famous Works:
Source / external links:

34 Famous quotes by Harold Pinter

Small: There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and wh
"There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false"
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Small: Good writing excites me, and makes life worth living
"Good writing excites me, and makes life worth living"
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Small: The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you rem
"The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you remember"
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Small: The crimes of the U.S. throughout the world have been systematic, constant, clinical, remorseless, and
"The crimes of the U.S. throughout the world have been systematic, constant, clinical, remorseless, and fully documented but nobody talks about them"
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Small: There are some good rules and there are some lousy rules
"There are some good rules and there are some lousy rules"
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Small: Clintons hands remain incredibly clean, dont they, and Tony Blairs smile remains as wide as ever. I vie
"Clinton's hands remain incredibly clean, don't they, and Tony Blair's smile remains as wide as ever. I view these guises with profound contempt"
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Small: Beckett had an unerring light on things, which I much appreciated
"Beckett had an unerring light on things, which I much appreciated"
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Small: Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?
"Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?"
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Small: All that happens is that the destruction of human beings - unless theyre Americans - is called collater
"All that happens is that the destruction of human beings - unless they're Americans - is called collateral damage"
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Small: A short piece of work means as much to me as a long piece of work
"A short piece of work means as much to me as a long piece of work"
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Small: The Companion of Honour I regarded as an award from the country for 50 years of work - which I thought
"The Companion of Honour I regarded as an award from the country for 50 years of work - which I thought was okay"
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Small: Ones life has many compartments
"One's life has many compartments"
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Small: One way of looking at speech is to say it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness
"One way of looking at speech is to say it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness"
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Small: One is and is not in the centre of the maelstrom of it all
"One is and is not in the centre of the maelstrom of it all"
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Small: Occasionally it does hit me, the words on a page. And I still love doing that, as I have for the last 6
"Occasionally it does hit me, the words on a page. And I still love doing that, as I have for the last 60 years"
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Small: My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics
"My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish"
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Small: Most of the press is in league with government, or with the status quo
"Most of the press is in league with government, or with the status quo"
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Small: Its so easy for propaganda to work, and dissent to be mocked
"It's so easy for propaganda to work, and dissent to be mocked"
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Small: It was difficult being a conscientious objector in the 1940s, but I felt I had to stick to my guns
"It was difficult being a conscientious objector in the 1940's, but I felt I had to stick to my guns"
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Small: Iraq is just a symbol of the attitude of western democracies to the rest of the world
"Iraq is just a symbol of the attitude of western democracies to the rest of the world"
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Small: If Milosevic is to be tried, he has to be tried by a proper court, an impartial, properly constituted c
"If Milosevic is to be tried, he has to be tried by a proper court, an impartial, properly constituted court which has international respect"
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Small: I was brought up in the War. I was an adolescent in the Second World War. And I did witness in London a
"I was brought up in the War. I was an adolescent in the Second World War. And I did witness in London a great deal of the Blitz"
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Small: I think that NATO is itself a war criminal
"I think that NATO is itself a war criminal"
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Small: I think it is the responsibility of a citizen of any country to say what he thinks
"I think it is the responsibility of a citizen of any country to say what he thinks"
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Small: I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth - certainly greater t
"I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth - certainly greater than sex, although sex isn't too bad either"
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Small: I ought not to speak about the dead because the dead are all over the place
"I ought not to speak about the dead because the dead are all over the place"
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Small: I never think of myself as wise. I think of myself as possessing a critical intelligence which I intend
"I never think of myself as wise. I think of myself as possessing a critical intelligence which I intend to allow to operate"
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Small: I mean, dont forget the earths about five thousand million years old, at least. Who can afford to live
"I mean, don't forget the earth's about five thousand million years old, at least. Who can afford to live in the past?"
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Small: I found the offer of a knighthood something that I couldnt possibly accept. I found it to be somehow sq
"I found the offer of a knighthood something that I couldn't possibly accept. I found it to be somehow squalid, a knighthood. There's a relationship to government about knights"
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Small: I dont think theres been any writer like Samuel Beckett. Hes unique. He was a most charming man and I u
"I don't think there's been any writer like Samuel Beckett. He's unique. He was a most charming man and I used to send him my plays"
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Small: I dont intend to simply go away and write my plays and be a good boy. I intend to remain an independent
"I don't intend to simply go away and write my plays and be a good boy. I intend to remain an independent and political intelligence in my own right"
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Small: I could be a bit of a pain in the arse. Since Ive come out of my cancer, I must say I intend to be even
"I could be a bit of a pain in the arse. Since I've come out of my cancer, I must say I intend to be even more of a pain in the arse"
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Small: I believe an international criminal court is very much to be desired
"I believe an international criminal court is very much to be desired"
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Small: I also found being called Sir rather silly
"I also found being called Sir rather silly"
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