It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
Vengeance comes from the individual and punishment from God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Vengeance is a personal response to harm, while punishment is a divine or moral consequence for wrongdoing.
In this quote, Victor Hugo contrasts the human inclination for vengeance with a higher moral authority that administers punishment. It suggests that while individuals may seek revenge for personal grievances, the true judgment and consequences of actions belong to a higher power, emphasizing the importance of moral and ethical considerations over personal vendettas.
Themes
VengeancePunishmentMoralityForgivenessConsequences
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about justice, one might use this quote to highlight the difference between personal revenge and societal punishment.
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes βWhen two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
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