--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had…" description: "\"I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since it was written over 30 years ago. This extraordinary piece of feminist literature had its fan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png" --- # I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since… ![“I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since it was written over 30 years ago. This extraordinary piece of feminist literature had its fan base then, but TV has given it an enormous reach.” quote by Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png) > “I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since it was written over 30 years ago. This extraordinary piece of feminist literature had its fan base then, but TV has given it an enormous reach.” [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The novel's feminist themes remain powerful, and the TV adaptation expands its reach to new audiences. **In simple terms:** The story’s impact grows with modern media. Key Takeaway Use media to amplify important social messages. Themes feminism media adaptation social change Mood thoughtful hopeful Type literary media When to use this quote - education curricula - activist campaigns - public discussions Key Concepts literature television cultural relevance Questions to Reflect On - How does visual storytelling change perception? - What responsibilities do adapters have? A Different Perspective TV may simplify complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Feminist Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist-literature-3322274/) [Handmaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handmaid/) [Handmaid Tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handmaid-tale-569034/) [Handmaid's Tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handmaids-tale/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Think Handmaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-handmaid-3623139/) [Tv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv/) [Tv Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv-given-1470100/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a human story, and women's rights are human rights, and it's all about equality, but at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-strahovski/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-human-story-and-women-s-rights-are-human/) [Yvonne Strahovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-strahovski/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' will blow people away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-brewer/the-handmaid-s-tale-will-blow-people-away/) [Madeline Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-brewer/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a very special story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-morano/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-very-special-story/) [Reed Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-morano/) > [I read it in college as an assignment. I didn't think about it at the time. But when I heard there was a 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-morano/i-read-it-in-college-as-an-assignment-i-didn-t-think-about-it-at-the/) [Reed Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-morano/) > [I'd been to an Orthodox Jewish primary school where, every morning, the boys said, 'Thank you God for not making me a woman.' If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/i-d-been-to-an-orthodox-jewish-primary-school-where-every-morning-the/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [My English teachers gave me a copy of Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' when I left high school, which has always been very special to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/my-english-teachers-gave-me-a-copy-of-atwood-s-the-handmaid-s-tale/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I was not really aware of the dystopian genre before I read 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Many poets as well, like John Donne and Emily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-was-not-really-aware-of-the-dystopian-genre-before-i-read-the/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [“I tried to read Handmaid's tale, really I did, but every time I opened the book, I recalled the movie from 199 all too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margret-atwood/i-tried-to-read-handmaid-s-tale-really-i-did-but-every-time-i-opened/) [Margret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margret-atwood/) > [When I first read the scenes I got to audition, I just could tell there was obviously something there. The writing speaks for itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-brewer/when-i-first-read-the-scenes-i-got-to-audition-i-just-could-tell/) [Madeline Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-brewer/) > [I'm trying to make people understand: yes, women are oppressed in 'The Handmaid's Tale.' But the men are also oppressed, too. It's just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-morano/i-m-trying-to-make-people-understand-yes-women-are-oppressed-in-the/) [Reed Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-morano/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a horrifying and horrifyingly possible vision of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-horrifying-and-horrifyingly-possible-vision/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' takes place in the near future, a dystopian future, and is based on the book by Margaret Atwood. It takes place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-bledel/the-handmaid-s-tale-takes-place-in-the-near-future-a-dystopian-future/) [Alexis Bledel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-bledel/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is not a book or show advocating enslaving women or creating a theocracy. It's not glorifying that. It's talking about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laeta-kalogridis/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-not-a-book-or-show-advocating-enslaving-women/) [Laeta Kalogridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laeta-kalogridis/) > [The interesting thing about 'The Handmaid's Tale' is that everything that happens in it has happened or is happening somewhere in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-morano/the-interesting-thing-about-the-handmaid-s-tale-is-that-everything/) [Reed Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-morano/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' breaks my heart. It's a show based on the book written in the '80s by Margaret Atwood - who is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-brewer/the-handmaid-s-tale-breaks-my-heart-it-s-a-show-based-on-the-book/) [Madeline Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-brewer/) ## More by Joseph Fiennes > [What I love about my work is that I'm forced to look through my character's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/what-i-love-about-my-work-is-that-i-m-forced-to-look-through-my/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Pretty much all films I've seen that depict the life of Christ end with the Crucifixion, almost like the filmmakers don't know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/pretty-much-all-films-i-ve-seen-that-depict-the-life-of-christ-end/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I guess there's nothing I don't like about Merlin, in this presentation. I love everything, even the things I find despicable and abhorrent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-guess-there-s-nothing-i-don-t-like-about-merlin-in-this/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [People call my family a dynasty, but I'm not sure what a dynasty actually is. And I don't feel part of one. It belies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/people-call-my-family-a-dynasty-but-i-m-not-sure-what-a-dynasty/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [When you wake up, and you see that America has pulled out of the climate deal in Paris, that sends huge messages about putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/when-you-wake-up-and-you-see-that-america-has-pulled-out-of-the/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I want my daughters to live in a world where there is equality and parity of pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-want-my-daughters-to-live-in-a-world-where-there-is-equality-and/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [What I don't find compelling is doing classical plays that everyone already knows - and people are following with the text in their hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/what-i-don-t-find-compelling-is-doing-classical-plays-that-everyone/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I was baptised a Catholic and, although I'm not a churchgoer now, I do have a strong sense of the integrity of doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-was-baptised-a-catholic-and-although-i-m-not-a-churchgoer-now-i-do/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Doubt is crucial, I think, in every character I have ever played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/doubt-is-crucial-i-think-in-every-character-i-have-ever-played/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I love life. I'm fascinated by human behavior because that feeds back into my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-love-life-i-m-fascinated-by-human-behavior-because-that-feeds-back/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Youth is a predominant factor. We are seeing a young King Arthur, and thereby a young-ish - as I'm into my 40s - Merlin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/youth-is-a-predominant-factor-we-are-seeing-a-young-king-arthur-and/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I was thrust, excitingly, via 'Elizabeth' and 'Shakespeare in Love,' into a position one can only dream of, but it was startling, too. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-was-thrust-excitingly-via-elizabeth-and-shakespeare-in-love-into-a/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [It takes years to establish yourself, and then you have one big film and everyone calls you an overnight success. You think, 'Christ, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/it-takes-years-to-establish-yourself-and-then-you-have-one-big-film/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [At home, our parents never compared us. I mean, there were seven of us kids. Obviously, I always looked up to my brother and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/at-home-our-parents-never-compared-us-i-mean-there-were-seven-of-us/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I like language, and in film, language is diluted by the visuals and the music. Theatre is what I was trained for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-like-language-and-in-film-language-is-diluted-by-the-visuals-and/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) [Explore all 65 Joseph Fiennes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) ## 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": "I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since it was written over 30 years ago. This extraordinary piece of feminist literature had its fan base then, but TV has given it an enormous reach.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Fiennes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-that-power-since-it-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-that-power-since-it-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/777/joseph-fiennes-10541_books_i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-t_2015682.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always had that power since it was written over 30 years ago. This…” — Joseph Fiennes", "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": "Joseph Fiennes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think 'The Handmaid's Tale' always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-that-power-since-it-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-think-the-handmaid-s-tale-always-had-that-power-since-it-was/#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 } } ] } ```