Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Victor Hugo

Quote by Victor Hugo

“That figure stood for a long time wholly in the light; this arose from a certain legendary dimness evolved by the majority of heroes, and which always veils the truth for a longer or shorter time; but to-day history and daylight have arrived. That light called history is pitiless; it possesses this peculiar and divine quality, that, pure light as it is, and precisely because it is wholly light, it often casts a shadow in places where people had hitherto beheld rays; from the same man it constructs two different phantoms, and the one attacks the other and executes justice on it, and the shadows of the despot contend with the brilliancy of the leader. Hence arises a truer measure in the definitive judgments of nations. Babylon violated lessens Alexander, Rome enchained lessens Caesar, Jerusalem murdered lessens Titus, tyranny follows the tyrant. It is a misfortune for a man to leave behind him the night which bears his form.”

Quote by Victor Hugo

Work

Les Misérables: Volume Two

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo, a French romantic poet, novelist, and playwright, was born on February 26, 1802, and died on May 22, 1885. He is considered one of the greatest writers in French literary history, known for his profound humanistic concerns and rich imagination. more

You May Also Like

“If the parent represses the girl's anger not just once but over and over again, a deeper injury occurs: the girl will eventually dismantle her anger response. Ultimately, it's safer for her to cut off a part of her being than to battle the person on whom her life depends.”

“Dengarlah anak muda, orang sebenarnya diberi kekuatan oleh Gusti Allah untuk menepis semua hasrat atau dorongan yang sudah diketahui akibat buruknya. Orang juga sudah diberi ati wening, kebeningan hati yang selalu mengajak eling. Ketika kamu melanggar suara kebeningan hatimu sendiri, kamu dibilang orang ora eling, lupa akan kesejatian yang selalu menganjurkan kebaikan bagi dirimu sendiri. Karena lupa akan kebaikan, kamu mendapat kebalikannya, keburukan.”