--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And when the Old Man wished to kill…" description: "\"And when the Old Man wished to kill someone, he would take him and say: \"Go and do this thing. I do this because I want to make you return to paradise...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/marco-polo-31767_assassins_and-when-the-old-man-wished-to-kill-some_1383441.jpg" --- # And when the Old Man wished to kill someone, he would take… ![“And when the Old Man wished to kill someone, he would take him and say: "Go and do this thing. I do this because I want to make you return to paradise." And the assassins go and perform the deed willingly.” quote by Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/marco-polo-31767_assassins_and-when-the-old-man-wished-to-kill-some_1383441.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/marco-polo-31767_assassins_and-when-the-old-man-wished-to-kill-some_1383441.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/366/marco-polo-31767_assassins_and-when-the-old-man-wished-to-kill-some_1383441.jpg) > “And when the Old Man wished to kill someone, he would take him and say: "Go and do this thing. I do this because I want to make you return to paradise." And the assassins go and perform the deed willingly.” [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A ruler orders assassins, claiming the act will return the victim to paradise, and the assassins comply willingly. **In simple terms:** Killings are justified as a path to paradise, and killers accept it. Key Takeaway Question moral justifications of violence. Themes power religion morality politics Mood reflective serious Type ethical historical When to use this quote - political intrigue - religious doctrine - military orders Key Concepts divine justification obedience ethical paradox Questions to Reflect On - How does belief in afterlife affect violent orders? - What psychological mechanisms enable compliance? A Different Perspective Justifications can be manipulated for control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assassins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassins/) [Assassins Perform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassins-perform-4799970/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Deed Willingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deed-willingly-4799971/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise/) [Paradise Assassins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise-assassins-4799969/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wished Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wished-kill-1954115/) ## Related quotes > [“He raised his eyebrows"you could kill me" "i couldn't"she said"for you would know I meant to kill you, and you'd escape me. You'd stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/he-raised-his-eyebrows-you-could-kill-me-i-couldn-t-she-said-for-you/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [“You know what would help?" I asked, not meeting his eyes. "Hmm?" "If you turned off this crap music and put on something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-know-what-would-help-i-asked-not-meeting-his-eyes-hmm-if-you/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [He flipped the dail, and I crossed my arms over my chest as some vaguely European-sounding band sang about how video had killed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-flipped-the-dail-and-i-crossed-my-arms-over-my-chest-as-some/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [If a shot aimed at aptness succeeds aptly, it is then fully apt, since it is not only apt but also aptly apt. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/if-a-shot-aimed-at-aptness-succeeds-aptly-it-is-then-fully-apt-since/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) > [Ananna of Tanarau is a delightfully irascible heroine, inhabiting a fascinating and fresh new world that I would love to spend more time in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-kiernan/ananna-of-tanarau-is-a-delightfully-irascible-heroine-inhabiting-a/) [Celine Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-kiernan/) > [Agents of disruption, subversion, sabotage and disinformation tunnelers and smugglers, listeners and forgers, trainers and recruiters and talent spotters and couriers and watchers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/agents-of-disruption-subversion-sabotage-and-disinformation-tunnelers/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Are you suggesting I’m not normal? (Nykyrian) Oh yeah, baby, you ooze normality. From the top of that assassin’s braid to the tip of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/are-you-suggesting-i-m-not-normal-nykyrian-oh-yeah-baby-you-ooze/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Procrastination is attitude's natural assassin. There's nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/procrastination-is-attitude-s-natural-assassin-there-s-nothing-so/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > ['The Assassins' Gate' is a very tightly controlled story of the ideas that led to the war and the consequences of those ideas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/the-assassins-gate-is-a-very-tightly-controlled-story-of-the-ideas/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Nixon's own protection from the assassin's bullet... nattering nabobs of negativism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/nixon-s-own-protection-from-the-assassin-s-bullet-nattering-nabobs-of/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > [Yes Rosalie, we all know how proficient of an assassin you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/yes-rosalie-we-all-know-how-proficient-of-an-assassin-you-are/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“They are the Emperor's spies, his eyes and ears. And occasionally his assassins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-moeller/they-are-the-emperor-s-spies-his-eyes-and-ears-and-occasionally-his/) [Jonathan Moeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-moeller/) > [Treacherous assassins, enemies of the people, and worthy of everyone's ridicule are those who, under the pretext of guiding future generations, teach them an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/treacherous-assassins-enemies-of-the-people-and-worthy-of-everyone-s/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [“Some people loathe the act of killing a person at first, but as they continue to do it, it can feel like a game.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-creeden/some-people-loathe-the-act-of-killing-a-person-at-first-but-as-they/) [Pauline Creeden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-creeden/) > [This is really good,” Donovan Caine said, attacking his third strawberry pancake. “You sound surprised,” I said. He shrugged. “I just didn’t think an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/this-is-really-good-donovan-caine-said-attacking-his-third-strawberry/) [Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) ## More by Marco Polo > [The militant Muslim is the person who beheads the infidel, while the moderate Muslim holds the feet of the victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/the-militant-muslim-is-the-person-who-beheads-the-infidel-while-the/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [“Here people was once used to be honourable: now they are all bad; they have kept one goodness: that they are greatest boozers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/here-people-was-once-used-to-be-honourable-now-they-are-all-bad-they/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [I have not told half of what I saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/i-have-not-told-half-of-what-i-saw/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [ I speak and speak, \[...\] but the listener retains only the words he is expecting. \[...\] It is not the voice that commands the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/i-speak-and-speak-but-the-listener-retains-only-the-words-he-is/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [To the north of Armenia lies Zorzania Georgia, near the confines of which there is a fountain of oil which discharges so great a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/to-the-north-of-armenia-lies-zorzania-georgia-near-the-confines-of/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [I have not told the half of what I saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/i-have-not-told-the-half-of-what-i-saw/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [If you put together all the Christians in the world, with their Emperors and their Kings, the whole of these Christians, - aye, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/if-you-put-together-all-the-christians-in-the-world-with-their/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [The law which their prophet Mohamed has given to muslims is that any harm done to any one who does not accept their law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/the-law-which-their-prophet-mohamed-has-given-to-muslims-is-that-any/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [The half I saw has not believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/the-half-i-saw-has-not-believed/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [“The personal appearance of the Great Kaan, Lord of Lords, whose name is Cublay, is such as I shall now tell you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/the-personal-appearance-of-the-great-kaan-lord-of-lords-whose-name-is/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [The true sweetness of wine is one flavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/the-true-sweetness-of-wine-is-one-flavor/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [One of these nuts is a meal for a man, both meat and drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/one-of-these-nuts-is-a-meal-for-a-man-both-meat-and-drink/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [My heart beats as much as I can breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/my-heart-beats-as-much-as-i-can-breathe/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [Without stones there is no arch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/without-stones-there-is-no-arch/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [I believe it was God's will that we should come back, so that men might know the things that are in the world, since,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/i-believe-it-was-god-s-will-that-we-should-come-back-so-that-men/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) [Explore all 16 Marco Polo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) ## More Assassins quotes > [This is really good,” Donovan Caine said, attacking his third strawberry pancake. “You sound surprised,” I said. He shrugged. “I just didn’t think an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/this-is-really-good-donovan-caine-said-attacking-his-third-strawberry/) [Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [“Some people loathe the act of killing a person at first, but as they continue to do it, it can feel like a game.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-creeden/some-people-loathe-the-act-of-killing-a-person-at-first-but-as-they/) [Pauline Creeden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-creeden/) > [Treacherous assassins, enemies of the people, and worthy of everyone's ridicule are those who, under the pretext of guiding future generations, teach them an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/treacherous-assassins-enemies-of-the-people-and-worthy-of-everyone-s/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [“They are the Emperor's spies, his eyes and ears. And occasionally his assassins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-moeller/they-are-the-emperor-s-spies-his-eyes-and-ears-and-occasionally-his/) [Jonathan Moeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-moeller/) > [Yes Rosalie, we all know how proficient of an assassin you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/yes-rosalie-we-all-know-how-proficient-of-an-assassin-you-are/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Nixon's own protection from the assassin's bullet... nattering nabobs of negativism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/nixon-s-own-protection-from-the-assassin-s-bullet-nattering-nabobs-of/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > ['The Assassins' Gate' is a very tightly controlled story of the ideas that led to the war and the consequences of those ideas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/the-assassins-gate-is-a-very-tightly-controlled-story-of-the-ideas/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Procrastination is attitude's natural assassin. There's nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/procrastination-is-attitude-s-natural-assassin-there-s-nothing-so/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Are you suggesting I’m not normal? (Nykyrian) Oh yeah, baby, you ooze normality. From the top of that assassin’s braid to the tip of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/are-you-suggesting-i-m-not-normal-nykyrian-oh-yeah-baby-you-ooze/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Agents of disruption, subversion, sabotage and disinformation tunnelers and smugglers, listeners and forgers, trainers and recruiters and talent spotters and couriers and watchers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/agents-of-disruption-subversion-sabotage-and-disinformation-tunnelers/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Ananna of Tanarau is a delightfully irascible heroine, inhabiting a fascinating and fresh new world that I would love to spend more time in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-kiernan/ananna-of-tanarau-is-a-delightfully-irascible-heroine-inhabiting-a/) [Celine Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-kiernan/) > [If a shot aimed at aptness succeeds aptly, it is then fully apt, since it is not only apt but also aptly apt. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/if-a-shot-aimed-at-aptness-succeeds-aptly-it-is-then-fully-apt-since/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) > [Some people perceive me as an assassin or at least someone who can slip under your guard with a knife. But if you watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/some-people-perceive-me-as-an-assassin-or-at-least-someone-who-can/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The CW is a very fashion-oriented network and they like their stars to look a certain way. I like that, but at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-q/the-cw-is-a-very-fashion-oriented-network-and-they-like-their-stars/) [Maggie Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-q/) > [The terrorists do not understand America. The American people do not falter under threat, and we will not allow our future to be determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-terrorists-do-not-understand-america-the-american-people-do-not/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 234 Assassins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassins/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And when the Old Man wished to kill someone, he would take him and say: \"Go and do this thing. 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