Treason Quote by Ovid
“Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Metamorphoses, Book 9, 8th century BC
The line suggests that treason is often overlooked or rationalized when it benefits those in power, highlighting hypocrisy in moral judgments.
In simple terms: People excuse treason if it serves them.
Key Takeaway
Question who defines treason.
Themes
politics
morality
hypocrisy
power
justice
Mood
analytical
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
literary
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- government policy
- media narratives
- legal trials
- corporate decisions
Key Concepts
political theory
ethics
history
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from labeling actions treasonous?
- How does power shape moral labels?
A Different Perspective
Powerful interests may mask betrayal.
![“A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. [Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95c/ovid-276_conscious_a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the_12185.jpg)
![“See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. [That] the fundamental treason to the mind ... is the one fundamental treason which the scholar's mind must not allow is the bond uniting all the Oxford people in the last resort.” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c74/dorothy-l-sayers-738_academia_see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-re_16293.jpg)
