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Merchant Quotes

On trade, honesty, and the merchant as a literary figure.

These quotes treat the merchant as both a real economic role and a literary archetype, tying the day-laborer and merchant together as equally bound to their nation while one line calls honesty itself a financial speculation for anyone in trade.

The man of science, the artist, the philosopher are attached to their nations as much as the day-laborer and the merchant.

Quotes by Julien Benda

Walt Disney was not a merchant of sadness.

Quotes by James MacArthur

For the merchant, even honesty is a financial speculation.

Quotes by Charles Baudelaire

I haven't read Ibsen, Shaw, Shakespeare - except 'The Merchant of Venice' in ninth grade. I'm not familiar with 'Death of a Salesman.' I haven't read Tennessee Williams.

Quotes by August Wilson

Commerce Quotes

The British needlewoman follows blindly where the merchant leads.

Quotes by Ann Macbeth

There are very honest people who do not think that they have had a bargain unless they have cheated a merchant.

Quotes by Anatole France

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the merchant compared to other professions in these quotes?
One quote groups the merchant with the man of science, the artist, and the philosopher, arguing all are equally attached to their nations despite their different roles.
What does it mean that 'even honesty is a financial speculation' for a merchant?
It suggests that for someone in trade, even being honest can be calculated as a strategic bet on long-term reputation and profit, rather than a purely moral choice.
Is Walt Disney described as a merchant of sadness in these quotes?
One quote specifically denies this, stating Walt Disney was not a merchant of sadness, pushing back against a particular characterization of his work.
Does Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' come up in these quotes?
Yes - one quote references reading it in ninth grade while admitting unfamiliarity with other classic plays, showing the merchant's literary legacy alongside its economic meaning.
Do these quotes treat the merchant mainly as a moral or economic figure?
Both angles appear, with trade and ethics repeatedly overlapping, a theme also touched on under commerce.

A nod to Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' shows how deep the figure runs in Western storytelling. See also commerce and identity.