Evil Quote by Tom Shippey
![“Why could Tolkien not be more like Sir Thomas Malory, asked [Edwin] Muir, in the third Observer review of those cited above, and give us heroes and heroines like Lancelot and Guinevere, who ' knew temptation, were sometimes unfaithful to their vows,' were engagingly marked by adulterous passion?…” quote by Tom Shippey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c59/tom-shippey-50056_evil_why-could-tolkien-not-be-more-like-sir-t_3112736.jpg)
““Why could Tolkien not be more like Sir Thomas Malory, asked [Edwin] Muir, in the third Observer review of those cited above, and give us heroes and heroines like Lancelot and Guinevere, who ' knew temptation, were sometimes unfaithful to their vows,' were engagingly marked by adulterous passion? But T.H. White had already considered that paradigm, was indeed rewriting it at the same time as Tolkien in The Once and Future King; and he had seen the core of Malory's work not in romantic vice but in the human urge to murder. In White the poisonous adder that provokes the last disastrous battle is no adder but a harmless grass-snake, and the flash of the sword which brings on the two armies is not natural self-defense but natural blood-lust, creating a continuum from cruelty to animals to world wars and holocausts. Malory has to be rewritten to encompass a new view of evil.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Observer Review, 1970s, discussing Tolkien and Malory
Explores how modern authors reinterpret medieval heroism, shifting focus from chivalric romance to darker human impulses like murder and cruelty.
In simple terms: Modern writers see evil as human violence rather than romantic failings.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the evolving portrayal of evil in literature.
Themes
literature
heroism
evil
reinterpretation
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
interpretive
When to use this quote
- academic analysis
- creative writing
- teaching literature
- book club discussions
Key Concepts
medievalism
psychology
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does redefining evil affect our view of classic heroes?
- What does this shift say about contemporary society?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the enduring appeal of traditional chivalric ideals.
![“I think my sense of right and wrong, my feeling of noblesse oblige, and any thought I may have against the oppressor and for the oppressed came from [Le Morte d'Arthur]…It did not seem strange to me that Uther Pendragon wanted the wife of his vassal and took her by trickery. I was not frightened…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d51/john-steinbeck-71_love-and-loyalty_i-think-my-sense-of-right-and-wrong-my-f_1452653.jpg)
![“Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to [be] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is in play. Society has no obligation to try to rehabilitate evil.” quote by Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b89/bill-o-reilly-1019_destroyed_evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be_3597.jpg)
