Authors / Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes

1749–1832 · German poet, novelist and scientist

Goethe is to German what Shakespeare is to English. He is also blamed for a famous "boldness has genius" quote that is really a loose English adaptation.

3 real · 1 not theirs

Really theirs

3 quotes traced to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's own work or a reliable witness.

Sourced

Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast.

Source: Faust, Part One, line 1112 (1808)

Sourced

Whoever does not know foreign languages knows nothing of his own.

Source: Maxims and Reflections (1833)

Attributed

More light!

Source: Reported last words (1832)

Not theirs

1 famous lines credited to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that are misquoted, unsourced or belong to someone else.

Misquoted

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

The real words: A very free paraphrase of Faust by John Anster (1835), made famous by mountaineer W. H. Murray in 1951. Goethe's text says nothing like it.