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When merciless ambition, or mad zeal, has led two hosts of…

“When merciless ambition, or mad zeal, has led two hosts of dupes to battlefield, That, blind, they there may dig each other's graves, And call the sad work glory.” quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley
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“When merciless ambition, or mad zeal, has led two hosts of dupes to battlefield, That, blind, they there may dig each other's graves, And call the sad work glory.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ambition and zeal turn rivals into enemies, leading them to destroy each other while glorifying the conflict.

In simple terms: Blind ambition breeds mutual destruction.

Key Takeaway

Beware glorifying conflict.

Themes

ambition war human folly glory

Mood

cautionary philosophical

Type

critical poetic

When to use this quote

  • political campaigns
  • corporate rivalries
  • personal disputes

Key Concepts

political theory psychology of conflict ethical critique

Questions to Reflect On

  • What drives people to view conflict as glorious?
  • Can ambition be redirected positively?
A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex motivations.

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