--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I said: \"He cannot be so bad if he loves…" description: "\"I said: \"He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much.\" \"But he is a Beast,\" said Father helplessly. I saw that he was weakening, and wishing only to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/robin-mckinley-1591_beast_i-said-he-cannot-be-so-bad-if-he-loves-r_2452920.png" --- # I said: "He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much."… ![“I said: "He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much." "But he is a Beast," said Father helplessly. I saw that he was weakening, and wishing only to comfort him I said, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?” quote by Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/robin-mckinley-1591_beast_i-said-he-cannot-be-so-bad-if-he-loves-r_2452920.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/robin-mckinley-1591_beast_i-said-he-cannot-be-so-bad-if-he-loves-r_2452920.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0b/robin-mckinley-1591_beast_i-said-he-cannot-be-so-bad-if-he-loves-r_2452920.png) > “I said: "He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much." "But he is a Beast," said Father helplessly. I saw that he was weakening, and wishing only to comfort him I said, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?” [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a feared creature can be softened by love and patience. **In simple terms:** Love can tame a beast. Key Takeaway Show compassion to the feared. Themes compassion redemption fear transformation Mood reflective melancholy Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - family conflict - personal growth - healing relationships Key Concepts psychology of empathy mythic archetype Questions to Reflect On - Can love truly change a harmful person? - When is compassion insufficient? A Different Perspective Compassion may not change all beasts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) [Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [“Beast!” said he. “You’re the beast. He takes his liquor like a Christian. Come out of the way, Prendick!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/beast-said-he-you-re-the-beast-he-takes-his-liquor-like-a-christian/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Cannot a Beast be tamed?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/cannot-a-beast-be-tamed/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“Without your own inner beast tamed ye can never tame the wild ones around ye!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-silverwood/without-your-own-inner-beast-tamed-ye-can-never-tame-the-wild-ones/) [Jennifer Silverwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-silverwood/) > [“You show up as if you materialize from the wind itself, to save the life of the crown prince whom you jumped off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-kova/you-show-up-as-if-you-materialize-from-the-wind-itself-to-save-the/) [Elise Kova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-kova/) > [Yes, yes," said the Beast, "my heart is good, but still I am a monster." Among mankind," says Beauty, "there are many that deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-leprince-de-beaumont/yes-yes-said-the-beast-my-heart-is-good-but-still-i-am-a-monster/) Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont > [“Well, well, well,” she said, “the beast awakens. About bloody time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/well-well-well-she-said-the-beast-awakens-about-bloody-time/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“So…if you happened to be in Belle’s position, could you love a…beast?” “No,” I said, immediately. He looked away, disappointed for some reason. “Good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-vila/so-if-you-happened-to-be-in-belle-s-position-could-you-love-a-beast/) [Tatiana Vila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-vila/) > [“I must," said the Beast, "for, alas! I know too well my own misfortune, but then I love you with the tenderest affection. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-leprince-de-beaumont/i-must-said-the-beast-for-alas-i-know-too-well-my-own-misfortune-but/) Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont > [“We do not know what things look like, as you say," the beast said. "We know what things are like. It must be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/we-do-not-know-what-things-look-like-as-you-say-the-beast-said-we/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“I want no presents from the Beast,” said Father. “Is he trying to buy us off? Let him take his rich gifts back, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/i-want-no-presents-from-the-beast-said-father-is-he-trying-to-buy-us/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“What do you do when you're wound up?' she asked. 'Do you play that drum?'. 'No,' said the child. 'We used to dance.' 'But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/what-do-you-do-when-you-re-wound-up-she-asked-do-you-play-that-drum/) [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) > [“How many times are you two going to have to save me from myself before this whole drama runs its course?” asked Peter. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/how-many-times-are-you-two-going-to-have-to-save-me-from-myself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“In introducing himself, he had said, "I'm the father," and the doctors had winced. Because something else must have echoed in their ears- I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenzaburo-oe/in-introducing-himself-he-had-said-i-m-the-father-and-the-doctors-had/) [Kenzaburo Oe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenzaburo-oe/) > [“We should have a funeral," he said. Pan held his hands clasped in a tent on his lap, and he bowed his head. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/we-should-have-a-funeral-he-said-pan-held-his-hands-clasped-in-a-tent/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) > [“My mother said my father had a drop of dragon blood.” “Two drops. That, or a cock six feet long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-mother-said-my-father-had-a-drop-of-dragon-blood-two-drops-that-or/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## More by Robin McKinley > [It's hard to look too grand when you're led by someone who looks like a pudding with legs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/it-s-hard-to-look-too-grand-when-you-re-led-by-someone-who-looks-like/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“The most serious drawback to the telling-nothing approach is that it made that much more of a mystery of what had happened, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/the-most-serious-drawback-to-the-telling-nothing-approach-is-that-it/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/the-magic-in-that-country-was-so-thick-and-tenacious-that-it-settled/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“There was something very odd about the carpet this morning… More hedgehogs? Many more hedgehogs? Positively a lake of hedgehogs?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/there-was-something-very-odd-about-the-carpet-this-morning-more/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [He didn't look insane or inhuman. He did look uncooperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/he-didn-t-look-insane-or-inhuman-he-did-look-uncooperative/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [People forgot; it was in the nature of people to forget, to blur boundaries, to retell stories to come out the way they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/people-forgot-it-was-in-the-nature-of-people-to-forget-to-blur/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“But he hated to see his people people unhappy--because he was a good king, not because he was a nervous one--”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/but-he-hated-to-see-his-people-people-unhappy-because-he-was-a-good/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [ “\[the sheep\] sidled up beside him and bumped him lovingly with its head. Val looked at it sadly. "I am sorry, you ugly creature,"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/the-sheep-sidled-up-beside-him-and-bumped-him-lovingly-with-its-head/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [I long for another human face just as I fear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/i-long-for-another-human-face-just-as-i-fear-it/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“Rosie hated her curly golden hair. When she was old enough to hold minimal conversations, the itsy-bitsy-cutesycoo sort of grown-ups would pull the soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/rosie-hated-her-curly-golden-hair-when-she-was-old-enough-to-hold/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“There was, too, a reality to her new life that her old life had lacked, and she realized with a shock that she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/there-was-too-a-reality-to-her-new-life-that-her-old-life-had-lacked/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [Oh,' she said, too bone-weary to pretend: 'I would far rather that I love you as I saw yesterday I do than that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/oh-she-said-too-bone-weary-to-pretend-i-would-far-rather-that-i-love/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [But I'm going to try to tell the truth. Except for the parts I'm leaving out, because there's still stuff I'm just not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/but-i-m-going-to-try-to-tell-the-truth-except-for-the-parts-i-m/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/the-magic-in-that-country-was-so-thick-and-tenacious-that-it-settled-2/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [Roses are for love. Not silly sweet-hearts' love but the love that makes you and keeps you whole, love that gets you through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/roses-are-for-love-not-silly-sweet-hearts-love-but-the-love-that/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) [Explore all 225 Robin McKinley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) ## More Beast quotes > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-man-no-more-than-this-consider-him-well-thou-ow-st-the-worm-no/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [In giving us dominion over the animal kingdom God has signified His will that we subdue the beast within ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/in-giving-us-dominion-over-the-animal-kingdom-god-has-signified-his/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [ No visiting angel, or explorer from another planet, could have guessed that this bland orb \[Earth\] teemed with vermin, with world-mastering, self-torturing, incipiently angelic… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olaf-stapledon/no-visiting-angel-or-explorer-from-another-planet-could-have-guessed/) [Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olaf-stapledon/) > [As a beast of toil an ox is fixed capital. If he is eaten, he no longer functions as an instrument of labour, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-a-beast-of-toil-an-ox-is-fixed-capital-if-he-is-eaten-he-no-longer/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [« He squeezed his hands into fists. I picked up a grapefruit-sized rock and handed it to him. It went flying. Home run, Beast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/he-squeezed-his-hands-into-fists-i-picked-up-a-grapefruit-sized-rock/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Was man made stupid to see his own stupidity? Is God by definition indifferent, beyond us all? Is the eternal truth man's fighting soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-eberhart/was-man-made-stupid-to-see-his-own-stupidity-is-god-by-definition/) [Richard Eberhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-eberhart/) > [When a man is treated like a beast, he says, 'After all, I'm human.' When he behaves like a beast, he says 'After all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/when-a-man-is-treated-like-a-beast-he-says-after-all-i-m-human-when/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [“He's a beast. A monster. And he looks like he wants to devour me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/he-s-a-beast-a-monster-and-he-looks-like-he-wants-to-devour-me/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [ Antichrist is the pope and the Turk \[Muslim\] together. A beast full of life must have a body and soul. The spirit or soul… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/antichrist-is-the-pope-and-the-turk-muslim-together-a-beast-full-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [My hero among heroes is my grandmother, she's the epitome of strength and I try to mock that strength all the time. She's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeriel-miranda/my-hero-among-heroes-is-my-grandmother-she-s-the-epitome-of-strength/) [Aeriel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeriel-miranda/) > [You've heard tales of beauty and the beast. How a fair maid falls in love with a monster and sees the beauty of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maitland/you-ve-heard-tales-of-beauty-and-the-beast-how-a-fair-maid-falls-in/) [Karen Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maitland/) [Browse all 1,640 Beast quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I said: \"He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much.\" \"But he is a Beast,\" said Father helplessly. 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