Beast Quote by J. Christopher Herold
“A collective insanity seemed to have seized the nation and turned them into something worse than beasts. The princess de Lamballe, Marie Antoinette's intimate friend, was literally torn to pieces; her head, breasts, and pudenda were paraded on pikes before the windows of the Temple, where the royal family was imprisoned, while a man boasted drunkenly at a cafe that he had eaten the princess' heart, which he probably had.”
About This Quote
Source Historical account: French Revolution, 1792
Violence and cruelty of revolution turned people into monsters, showing humanity’s capacity for brutality.
In simple terms: Revolution can unleash barbarism.
Key Takeaway
Remember history to prevent repeating cruelty.
Themes
revolution
violence
dehumanization
history
political chaos
Mood
somber
historical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- political activism
- media analysis
Key Concepts
political theory
human nature
mass psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does collective trauma shape societies?
- What safeguards prevent descent into cruelty?
A Different Perspective
The quote may sensationalize; not all participants were monstrous.
![“The popular image [in England] of Bonaparte as a blood-stained tyrant and bandit was admittedly exaggerated, but instinct told even the most radical among the English that if liberty, equality, and justice were ever to come to their shores, it certainly was not Napoleon who would bring them there.” quote by J. Christopher Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dfc/j-christopher-herold-30177_freedom_the-popular-image-in-england-of-bonapart_1033829.jpg)
![“His [Pitt's] successor as prime minister was Mr. Addington, who was a friend of Mr. Pitt, just as Mr. Pitt was a friend of Mr. Addington; but their respective friends were each other's enemies. Mr. Fox, who was Mr. Pitt's enemy (although many of his friends were Mr. Pitt's friends), had always…” quote by J. Christopher Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b4a/j-christopher-herold-30177_effort_his-pitt-s-successor-as-prime-minister-w_1080769.jpg)
![“No visiting angel, or explorer from another planet, could have guessed that this bland orb [Earth] teemed with vermin, with world-mastering, self-torturing, incipiently angelic beasts.” quote by Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d65/olaf-stapledon-9950_angel_no-visiting-angel-or-explorer-from-anoth_12107.jpg)
