--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer!…" description: "\"Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!\" — Christopher Marlowe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg" --- # Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books! ![“Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!” quote by Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg) > “Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!” [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desperate plea to reject evil and destroy knowledge that could empower it. **In simple terms:** Reject evil, destroy dangerous knowledge. Key Takeaway Refuse corrupting influences. Themes despair rebellion selfdestruction Mood anguished defiant Type dramatic literary When to use this quote - personal crisis - moral dilemma - artistic expression Key Concepts theology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What drives a person to destroy their own tools? - Can knowledge be inherently dangerous? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Burn Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burn-books-304784/) [Come Lucifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-lucifer-2940197/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Lucifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucifer/) [Ugly Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly-hell-2940196/) ## Related quotes > [There's no reason to burn books if you don't read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/there-s-no-reason-to-burn-books-if-you-don-t-read-them/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [ FAUSTUS. \[Stabbing his arm.\] Lo, Mephistophilis, for love of thee, I cut mine arm, and with my proper blood Assure my soul to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/faustus-stabbing-his-arm-lo-mephistophilis-for-love-of-thee-i-cut/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer, / Conspired against our God with Lucifer, / And are for ever damned with Lucifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/unhappy-spirits-that-fell-with-lucifer-conspired-against-our-god-with/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“Andras Riedlmayer described a colleague who survived the siege of Sarajevo. In the winter, the scholar and his wife ran out of firewood, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-battles/andras-riedlmayer-described-a-colleague-who-survived-the-siege-of/) [Matthew Battles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-battles/) > [“Where they burn books they will in the end burn people too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/where-they-burn-books-they-will-in-the-end-burn-people-too/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“The problem in our country isn't with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. You don't have to burn books to destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-problem-in-our-country-isn-t-with-books-being-banned-but-with-2/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/where-they-burn-books-at-the-end-they-also-burn-people/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [“To put an end to the spirit of inquiry that has characterized the West it is not necessary to burn the books. All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/to-put-an-end-to-the-spirit-of-inquiry-that-has-characterized-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-don-t-have-to-burn-books-to-destroy-a-culture-just-get-people-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The first thing a fascist regime does is burn books. To not have them around would mean to make sure they're not written in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/the-first-thing-a-fascist-regime-does-is-burn-books-to-not-have-them/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [Censorship is a strange situation. There was times when people would burn books because they didn't like what people were doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-berryman/censorship-is-a-strange-situation-there-was-times-when-people-would/) [Michael Berryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-berryman/) > [“The censors of our age do not yet burn books, they attempt to restrict speech in the name of "offense". The tactics may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmine-savastano/the-censors-of-our-age-do-not-yet-burn-books-they-attempt-to-restrict/) [Carmine Savastano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmine-savastano/) > [“Your don't have to burn books to destroy culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/your-don-t-have-to-burn-books-to-destroy-culture-just-get-people-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The problem in our country isn't with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. Look at the magazines, the newspapers around us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-problem-in-our-country-isn-t-with-books-being-banned-but-with/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Noooo They can't burn up Books aren't any good when they're well done You can't cook them that long”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizuki-nomura/noooo-they-can-t-burn-up-books-aren-t-any-good-when-they-re-well-done/) [Mizuki Nomura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizuki-nomura/) ## More by Christopher Marlowe > [“O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter When he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/o-thou-art-fairer-than-the-evening-air-clad-in-the-beauty-of-a/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“The mightiest kings have had their minions; Great Alexander loved Hephaestion, The conquering Hercules for Hylas wept; And for Patroclus, stern Achilles drooped. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/the-mightiest-kings-have-had-their-minions-great-alexander-loved/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Ah fair Zenocrate, divine Zenocrate, Fair is too foul an epithet for thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ah-fair-zenocrate-divine-zenocrate-fair-is-too-foul-an-epithet-for/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Accursed be he that first invented war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/accursed-be-he-that-first-invented-war/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [That perfect bliss and sole felicity, the sweet fruition of an earthly crown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/that-perfect-bliss-and-sole-felicity-the-sweet-fruition-of-an-earthly/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [If we say that we have no sin, We deceive ourselves, and there's no truth in us. Why then belike we must sin, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/if-we-say-that-we-have-no-sin-we-deceive-ourselves-and-there-s-no/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [O soul, be changed into little waterdrops, / And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/o-soul-be-changed-into-little-waterdrops-and-fall-into-the-ocean-ne/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Above our life we love a steadfast friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/above-our-life-we-love-a-steadfast-friend/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“In summers heate and mid-time of the day To rest my limbes upon a bed I lay, One window shut, the other open stood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/in-summers-heate-and-mid-time-of-the-day-to-rest-my-limbes-upon-a-bed/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“The sight of London to my exiled eyes Is as Elysium to a new-come soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/the-sight-of-london-to-my-exiled-eyes-is-as-elysium-to-a-new-come-soul/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“Quod Me Nutrit Me Destruit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/quod-me-nutrit-me-destruit/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [What are kings, when regiment is gone, but perfect shadows in a sunshine day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/what-are-kings-when-regiment-is-gone-but-perfect-shadows-in-a/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Time doth run with calm and silent foot, Shortening my days and thread of vital life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/time-doth-run-with-calm-and-silent-foot-shortening-my-days-and-thread/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“Come live with me and be my Love, And we will all the pleasures prove”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/come-live-with-me-and-be-my-love-and-we-will-all-the-pleasures-prove-2/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) [Explore all 129 Christopher Marlowe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Marlowe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll-burn-my-books/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll-burn-my-books/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/christopher-marlowe-3449_books_ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll_1919588.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ugly hell, gape not! come not, Lucifer! I'll burn my books!” — Christopher Marlowe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Marlowe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ugly hell, gape not! come not,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll-burn-my-books/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ugly-hell-gape-not-come-not-lucifer-i-ll-burn-my-books/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```