Who said “He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible…”?

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Arthur Miller. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceDeath of a Salesman (1949)

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“He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.”
— Arthur Miller
VerifiedDeath of a Salesman (1949) · evidenceFailure

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Death of a Salesman (1949).

APA

Miller, A. (n.d.). He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16324-hes-not-the-finest-character-that-ever-lived/

MLA

Miller, Arthur. “He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16324-hes-not-the-finest-character-that-ever-lived/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Miller, Arthur. “He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16324-hes-not-the-finest-character-that-ever-lived/.

Related quotes

More quotes by Arthur Miller

“I'm the end of the line; absurd and appalling as it may seem, serious New York theater has died in my lifetime.”
VerifiedThe Times (January 11, 1989) · evidenceDetails & citeBroadway
“That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a classical Greek shoemaker?”
VerifiedHis reply to a shoe manufacturer who had asked why Miller's job should be subsidized when his was not, as recounted at a London press conference. The Guardian (January 25, 1990) · evidenceDetails & citeLiterature
“If I have any justification for having lived it's simply, I'm nothing but faults, failures and so on, but I have tried to make a good pair of shoes. There's some value in that.”
VerifiedInterview in Marxism Today (January 1988) · evidenceDetails & citeFallibility
All 15 Arthur Miller quotes →