Afternoon Quote by Marina Warner
“An interesting example is that the worst woman in the book, who is so cruel and violent, is the sorceress in "The Prince of the Black Islands." She's a beautiful young woman, and she has turned her husband into stone from the waist down. A traveling sultan finds him, in his dreadful state, and the man petrified from the waist down tells his sad story...how his wife comes every afternoon and beats him until the blood runs down. She's just unwontedly, arbitrarily cruel.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Prince of the Black Islands by Unknown Author, unknown year
A cruel sorceress turns her husband to stone, and he suffers daily abuse from his wife while immobilized.
In simple terms: A woman uses magic to imprison her husband and then beats him.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist abusive power, even when hidden behind beauty.
Themes
abuse
power
magic
gender
violence
Mood
anguish
anger
sympathy
Type
cautionary
dramatic
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- legal protection
- support groups
- awareness campaigns
Key Concepts
mythology
domestic oppression
transformative magic
Questions to Reflect On
- How does power enable cruelty?
- What can victims do when trapped?
A Different Perspective
The story may be fictional, limiting its direct applicability to real‑world solutions.
