--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What astonished me greatly was, that…" description: "\"“What astonished me greatly was, that though he believed that he was under sentence of death, he made no effort to avail himself of the means of escape..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/victor-hugo-32_astonished_what-astonished-me-greatly-was-that-thou_2661086.jpg" --- # What astonished me greatly was, that though he believed… ![“What astonished me greatly was, that though he believed that he was under sentence of death, he made no effort to avail himself of the means of escape that lay in his power. I spoke to him of this. “I am forced to remain,” said he simply, “or they would think that I was afraid.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/victor-hugo-32_astonished_what-astonished-me-greatly-was-that-thou_2661086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/victor-hugo-32_astonished_what-astonished-me-greatly-was-that-thou_2661086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/victor-hugo-32_astonished_what-astonished-me-greatly-was-that-thou_2661086.jpg) > ““What astonished me greatly was, that though he believed that he was under sentence of death, he made no effort to avail himself of the means of escape that lay in his power. I spoke to him of this. “I am forced to remain,” said he simply, “or they would think that I was afraid.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even facing death, he refuses escape, choosing to confront fear rather than flee. **In simple terms:** He stays despite death, fearing being seen as afraid. Key Takeaway Confront fear head‑on, not by avoidance. Themes courage existentialism psychology freedom honor Mood somber reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - Personal crisis - legal sentencing - war captivity - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts Existential choice psychological resilience moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to stay when escape is possible? - Is staying always the noblest choice? A Different Perspective May glorify martyrdom over practical self‑preservation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/) [Believed Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-sentence-2428577/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Forced Remain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forced-remain-2428578/) [Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence/) [Sentence Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-death-1554719/) ## Related quotes > [We are all under sentence of death, but with a sort of indefinite reprieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/we-are-all-under-sentence-of-death-but-with-a-sort-of-indefinite/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. 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I am all these things at once and cannot add up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-am-astonished-disappointed-pleased-with-myself-i-am-distressed/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [There are times when phrases such as 'totally astonished' just don't do the job. I am of course delighted and honoured and, needless to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-are-times-when-phrases-such-as-totally-astonished-just-don-t-do/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. 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She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Astonished quotes > [There are times when phrases such as 'totally astonished' just don't do the job. I am of course delighted and honoured and, needless to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-are-times-when-phrases-such-as-totally-astonished-just-don-t-do/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I am astonished, disappointed, pleased with myself. I am distressed, depressed, rapturous. 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She arrived at hypotheses by sheer intuition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-eisenberg/her-professors-were-astonished-by-her-leaps-of-thought-by-the-finesse/) [Deborah Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-eisenberg/) > [In Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland whose primeval forests astonished 19th-century Europeans, an incomprehensible ecological tragedy is being played out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-tasmania-an-island-the-size-of-ireland-whose-primeval-forests/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Only a fool is astonished by the foolishness of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/only-a-fool-is-astonished-by-the-foolishness-of-mankind/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Her thoughts rambled, but she wasn’t daydreaming. Her senses were sharp. She caught the fall of every leaf in the garden, the rustle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/her-thoughts-rambled-but-she-wasn-t-daydreaming-her-senses-were-sharp/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [I was so astonished that another had penetrated so deeply into the secrets of my soul, and that he knew what I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/i-was-so-astonished-that-another-had-penetrated-so-deeply-into-the/) [Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/) > [When I saw the plane, I was absolutely astonished! Two emotions crashed over me: surging joy and crazy fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-sunderland/when-i-saw-the-plane-i-was-absolutely-astonished-two-emotions-crashed/) [Abby Sunderland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-sunderland/) > [“To be astonished is one of the surest ways of not growing old too quickly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidonie-gabrielle-colette-2/to-be-astonished-is-one-of-the-surest-ways-of-not-growing-old-too/) [Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidonie-gabrielle-colette-2/) > [I'm astonished at how readily a great many people I know, young people, have accepted a reduced economic prospect and limited freedoms in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/i-m-astonished-at-how-readily-a-great-many-people-i-know-young-people/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/in-literature-as-in-love-we-are-astonished-at-what-is-chosen-by-others/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [Do you know what astonished me the most in this world? The inability of force to create anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/do-you-know-what-astonished-me-the-most-in-this-world-the-inability/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The amazing heroic women in labor, they are the truest inspiration, and when they push their babies into the light... I am astonished every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lim/the-amazing-heroic-women-in-labor-they-are-the-truest-inspiration-and/) [Robin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lim/) [Browse all 104 Astonished quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What astonished me greatly was, that though he believed that he was under sentence of death, he made no effort to avail himself of the means of escape that lay in his power. 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