50 Quotes from The Shawshank Redemption You’ll Never Forget
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1. Andy Dufresne
- “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.”
- “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
- “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.”
- “I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged.”
- “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
- “I’m tired of being afraid all the time.”
- “I don’t have to listen to this crap.”
- “Time served.”
2. Ellis “Red” Redding (Narration & Dialogue)
- “I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head.”
- “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing.”
- “These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to them.”
- “I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.”
- “Andy Dufresne—who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.”
- “Andy made it.”
- “I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend.”
- “Some birds aren't meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are just too bright.”
3. Warden Norton & Supporting Characters
- “Salvation lies within.”
- “Decency is its own standard.”
- “That's the beauty of music. They can’t steal it from you.”
- “You're gonna love being locked up.”
- “We’re all innocent down here.”
- “In prison, a man will do most anything to keep his mind occupied.”
- “Boys, time claws everything down.”
- “I have no idea what those words mean.”
4. Thematic & Inspirational
- “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.”
- “A beautiful phrase—warms the heart—‘get busy living or get busy dying.’”
- “The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.”
- “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.”
- “You have to allow yourself a break sometimes.”
- “When you could get busy living or get busy dying.”
- “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.”
- “Hope is a dangerous thing.”
5. Friendship & Humanity
- “I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged.”
- “Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing.”
- “I wanted it to come true.”
- “Hearts and minds in Shawshank State Prison.”
- “Music was the key to everything.”
- “I remember when I used to work in the library. Cool place.”
- “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I’ve done runnin’ anything.”
- “The fear of death is a terrible thing.”
6. Quotes That Stand the Test of Time
- “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
- “Hope is what makes the dark days bearable.”
- “There’s a harsh beauty in these walls.”
- “I guess we’ve all been here before.”
- “Sometimes you have to risk everything.”
- “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something.”
- “You shine your light for the world to see.”
- “Even in darkness, there’s hope.”
- “We all get a second chance.”
- “Remember, no matter how long things last in the dark, the dawn will come.”
