Battle Quote by Walter Scott
““Meantime the clang of the bows and the shouts of the combatants mixed fearfully with the sound of the trumpets, and drowned the groans of those who fell, and lay rolling defenceless beneath the feet of the horses. The splendid armour of the combatants was now defaced with dust and blood, and gave way at every stroke of the sword and battle-axe. The gay plumage, shorn from the crests, drifted upon the breeze like snowflakes. All that was beautiful in the martial array had disappeared, and what was now visibke was only calculated to awaken terror or compassion.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, 1819
War's chaos overwhelms beauty, leaving only terror or compassion.
In simple terms: War destroys beauty, leaving fear or pity.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the cost of conflict.
Themes
war
beauty
terror
compassion
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
literary
historical
When to use this quote
- battlefields
- historical novels
- military history
Key Concepts
chaos
humanity
masculinity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the loss of beauty reveal about human nature?
- How can compassion arise amid chaos?
A Different Perspective
The quote romanticizes war; it may glorify violence.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
