--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I shall possess this woman; I shall steal…" description: "\"I shall possess this woman; I shall steal her from the husband who profanes her: I will even dare ravish her from the God whom she adores. What delight..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_add_i-shall-possess-this-woman-i-shall-steal_225680.png" --- # I shall possess this woman; I shall steal her from the… ![“I shall possess this woman; I shall steal her from the husband who profanes her: I will even dare ravish her from the God whom she adores. What delight, to be in turns the object and the victor of her remorse! Far be it from me to destroy the prejudices which sway her mind! They will add to my…” quote by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_add_i-shall-possess-this-woman-i-shall-steal_225680.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_add_i-shall-possess-this-woman-i-shall-steal_225680.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_add_i-shall-possess-this-woman-i-shall-steal_225680.png) > “I shall possess this woman; I shall steal her from the husband who profanes her: I will even dare ravish her from the God whom she adores. What delight, to be in turns the object and the victor of her remorse! Far be it from me to destroy the prejudices which sway her mind! They will add to my happiness and my triumph. Let her believe in virtue, and sacrifice it to me; let the idea of falling terrify her, without preventing her fall; and may she, shaken by a thousand terrors, forget them, vanquish them only in my arms.” [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker seeks to dominate a woman, using manipulation and fear to control her, viewing conquest as personal triumph. **In simple terms:** He wants to control a woman through manipulation. Key Takeaway Manipulation for personal power is destructive. Themes power manipulation sex control morality Mood critical somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - romantic relationships - abuse of authority - personal ambition Key Concepts psychological domination ethical decay gender dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What drives a person to seek control through fear? - How does manipulation affect both parties? A Different Perspective Such actions cause lasting harm and betray trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Remorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remorse/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Saddest of all are the women who were brought up to believe that self-sacrifice is the highest female virtue. They made the sacrifice, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette/saddest-of-all-are-the-women-who-were-brought-up-to-believe-that-self/) [Jeanette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette/) > [Kindness is not a virtue when you sacrifice the truth to achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-istotle/kindness-is-not-a-virtue-when-you-sacrifice-the-truth-to-achieve-it/) [Drew Istotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-istotle/) > [The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-determined-scholar-and-the-man-of-virtue-will-not-seek-to-live-at/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Thou shalt not steal. I mean defensively. On offense, indeed thou shall steal and thou must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/thou-shalt-not-steal-i-mean-defensively-on-offense-indeed-thou-shall/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/you-shall-not-steal-nor-deal-falsely-nor-lie-to-one-another/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [You shall not steal! You shall not kill! Such words were once called holy; before them people bowrd their knees and heads, and removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/you-shall-not-steal-you-shall-not-kill-such-words-were-once-called/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Devotion's self shall steal a thought from heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/devotion-s-self-shall-steal-a-thought-from-heaven/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [... thou shall not steal, even by majority vote ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-north/thou-shall-not-steal-even-by-majority-vote/) [Gary North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-north/) > [Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/whosoever-holds-this-hammer-if-he-be-worthy-shall-possess-the-power/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems, You shall possess the good of the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/stop-this-day-and-night-with-me-and-you-shall-possess-the-origin-of-2/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Immortality is not a gift, Immortality is an achievement; And only those who strive mightily Shall possess it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-lee-masters/immortality-is-not-a-gift-immortality-is-an-achievement-and-only/) [Edgar Lee Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-lee-masters/) > [“With patient, you shall possess your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/with-patient-you-shall-possess-your-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [What I want is, not to possess religion, but to have a religion that shall possess me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/what-i-want-is-not-to-possess-religion-but-to-have-a-religion-that/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Do you want to make it impossible for anyone to oppress his fellow-man? Then make sure that no one shall possess power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/do-you-want-to-make-it-impossible-for-anyone-to-oppress-his-fellow/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/stop-this-day-and-night-with-me-and-you-shall-possess-the-origin-of/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) ## More by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos > [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. 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