Line #172 Main/Epigraph


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/KillBill https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kill_bill_epigraph.jpg]]]]
2
3	->"''Another trend I noticed while slowly working my way through the Masters of Bilge canon was that bad writers like to preface their books with a quote from somebody classy.....This made me wonder why great writers didn't start their books with quotations from world-class hacks.''"
4	-->-- Joe Queenan in ''Red Lobster, White Trash, and the Blue Lagoon''.
5
6	An [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigraph_(literature) epigraph]] (from the Greek ''epi-'', "on" or "over", and ''gráphō'', "writing", meaning "writing upon" or, more colloquially, "inscription") is the quotation of a line, excerpt or {{poetry}} done at the beginning or (more rarely) at the ending of a work, segment or chapter. Frequent in {{literature}}, shows up occasionally otherwise.
7
8	In written works, epigraphs are often used to make the reader look in a certain direction while reading, or as instructions on how to receive the work. In SpeculativeFiction, it is often used to do an EncyclopediaExposita. Can also be used for an AsTheGoodBookSays effect.
9
10	SuperTrope to DictionaryOpening. See also PretentiousLatinMotto.
11	----
12	!!Examples:
13
14	[[index]]
15	* Epigraph/{{Literature}}
16	[[/index]]
17
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
21	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' starts each tankōbon with a small illustration of a character and a short poem that seems to be written in the voice of that character.
22	* Every episode in ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' ends with the phrase, not quoted from another source, "See you, space cowboy".
23	* Instead of the usual intro from Haru and Gatchmon, the final two episodes of ''Anime/DigimonUniverseAppMonsters'' opens with a quote about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence, with Episode 51 starting with a quote from Stephen Hawking and the finale starting with a quote from Clive Sinclair. Both quotes are read out loud by Haru.
24	* One of the trailers for ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion End of Evangelion]]'' opens with a quote from Milton's ''Literature/ParadiseLost'' -- namely, verses 146-150 from book 2.
25	* In ''Anime/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer'', TheStinger ends with the words of UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved through understanding."
26	* Each episode of ''[[Manga/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyou Shou]]'' has the ending sequence start with a ''tanka'' poem taken from ''Kokin Wakashuu'' books.
27	* TheStinger in ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'' ends with an excerpt from the Creator/TSEliot poem ''The Hollow Men'': "This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper."
28	* ''Manga/TheLoveAndCreedOfSaeMaki'' begins with {{Creator/Aristotle}}'s famous IJustWantToHaveFriends quote; "For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods".
29	* ''Anime/MacrossPlus'' ends with the words, "Dedicated to you, our future pioneers..."
30	* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' is epigraphed by a passage from Revelation[[note]]Chapter 13, Verse 1-4[[/note]] which coincides with the plot.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Comic Books]]
34	* The three issues of Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/BlackOrchid'' had quotes from Omar Khayyam, Lou Reed, and Creator/EECummings on the back covers.
35	* Every issue of ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' begins with a quote that relates thematically to the events of the issue.
36	* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityWar'': "And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also look into you" - Creator/FriedrichNietzsche. The Magus even became aware of it when it got all powerful.
37	* Issue #5 of ''[[ComicBook/TheFrankensteinMonster The Monster of Frankenstein]]'' has a quote from Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival song "Bad Moon Rising" in its first page, foreshadowing [[spoiler:the werewolf business to come]].
38	* In the collected editions of ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', each story arc is preceded with two quotes. The first one reads as something deep and profound; the second a pithy, less serious comment on the same topic -- from the story itself.
39	* Each chapter of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' ends with one of these, which is alluded to in the title of the chapter. The final epigraph to the collected edition was chosen both as a reference to a graffito in the series, and for its being used as another epigraph (to the Tower Commission report on the Iran-Contra Scandal).
40	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'':
41	** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Issue 322 closes with a relevant quote from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/RichardII''.
42	** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Each issue of the "Challenge of Artemis" arc begins with a quote tying in to the story about to unfold.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Fan Works]]
46	%%* Anything that Abicion has written since he watched ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' starts with one.
47	%%* ''Fanfic/AeonEntelechyEvangelion'': Each chapter starts with one.
48	* ''Fanfic/{{Bait and Switch\|STO}}'': The author started using these beginning with "Fanfic/TheUniverseDoesntCheat".
49	** ''Fanfic/FromBajorToTheBlack'' has the first four lines of Music/{{Journey\|Band}}'s [[http://youtu.be/VcjzHMhBtf0 "Don't Stop Believin'"]], neatly summing up Eleya's original reason for joining the Bajoran Militia.
50	--->''Just a small town girl / Livin' in a lonely world / She took the midnight train / Goin' anywhere''
51	** "Fanfic/TheUniverseDoesntCheat" opens with two lines from the refrain of Music/JamesTaylor's [[http://youtu.be/Alml82U4hlw "Never Die Young"]], in something of a reference to Eleya's approach to the "KobayashiMaru":
52	---> ''… Never give up, never slow down / Never grow old, never ever die young''
53	** The second verse and part of the chorus of Music/{{U2}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqmKbhIcTn0 "Sunday Bloody Sunday"]] were added to ''Fanfic/RealityIsFluid'' [[OrwellianRetcon retroactively]], referring to the fic's minor theme of the CycleOfRevenge.
54	** "Fanfic/ToAbsentFriends" favors the first two verses of Music/JamesTaylor's [[http://youtu.be/jitJp1-bmQ0 "Fire and Rain."]]
55	** "Fanfic/ShakedownShenanigans" uses a line from Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationSeries'' that apparently appears on the ''Bajor'''s dedication plaque.
56	-->"To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well."
57	** "Fanfic/LastRights" has the first two verses and chorus of [[http://youtu.be/wS6sCaP-aW4 "Say the Same"]] by Music/{{Hoobastank}}.
58	* ''Fanfic/BatmanAngelOfDeath'' opens with "[[Theatre/LesMiserables To love another person is to see the face of God]]," credited to Herbert Kretzmer.
59	* ''Fanfic/ADelicateBalance'': Every chapter starts with a quote from a Creator/JohnDonne poem, which also serve as [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming chapter titles]].
60	* ''Fanfic/DrunkardsWalk'': Each chapter of every story in the cycle starts with one or two relevant quotes, their sources ranging from modern pop music to ancient Greek philosophers.
61	* "Fanfic/FlaihhsamSSpahkh" uses verses 27-19 of the EpicPoem "Horatius" by Lord Thomas Macaulay, which was also used in the ''Literature/{{Rihannsu}}'' novels (see Literature).
62	* ''Fanfic/{{Flufferverse}}'': Every chapter of each fic begins with at least one literary quote.
63	* In all three parts of ''Fanfic/TheHeartTrilogy'', the chapters are initiated with quotes. The epigraphs of ''Heart of Fire'' are riddles and their answers. The ones of ''Heart of Ashes'' are all somehow dragon-related, covering various works. In ''Heart of the Inferno'', all the epigraphs are borrowed from ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium''.
64	* ''Fanfic/AGameOfCatAndCat'': Most chapters start with quotes from Leon Belmont's diary, like the first chapter's:
65	--> “Demon Summoning is one of the blackest arts imaginable. Not only must the summoner submit his God-given soul to vile monsters, he must sacrifice others to call forth his evil masters. I pray that this dark art shall be lost in the mists of time…”\
66	--Diary of Leon Belmont, translated by Julius Belmont
67	* ''Fanfic/HorseshoesAndHandGrenades'' and all stories in that universe have quotes/poem verses that fit with the events within the chapter.
68	* ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'': At the start of every chapter is a quote pulled from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' which relates to the story's events.
69	* ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'': At the start of each chapter there are [[EncyclopediaExposita extracts of self-help books on being a hero, some poetry, or texts that are implied to be from future documents/books]].
70	* ''Fanfic/LostCities'': Each chapter begins with a quote from ''Literature/InvisibleCities'' by Creator/ItaloCalvino, another work about fantastical cities, in some way relevant to the themes of the city described within it.
71	* ''Fanfic/{{Maat}}'': The first chapter has what's effectively one, as the protagonist is singing a song that's its first lines:
72	-->''"On the road again\
73	Just can't wait to get on the road again\
74	The life I love is makin' music with my friends\
75	And I can't wait to get on the road again"''
76	* ''Fanfic/{{Metro}}'': For all sections, such as [[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/content_page/item/1113-hammertime-1 "If I Had A Hammer (Part One)"]]:
77	-->"Take the scorn and wear the horns\
78	It was the crest when you were born\
79	Your father's father wore it\
80	And your father wore it too"\
81	—- Traditional, Cornwall, "Hal-An-Tow"
82	* ''Fanfic/AMothersTouch'' has a quote relating to the subject matter of the chapter. For example, the second chapter talks about how people with privilege lack smarts and heart, reflecting how Yoko is going to put [[PrivilegedRival Sylvio]] and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Reiji]] across the wringer for their stupidity.
83	* Each chapter of ''Fanfic/TheNewAgeOfMonsters'' starts with a short text that is taken from an in-universe news article or book. They mostly serve to provide some backstory for the individual kaijus and as exposition for the world in general.
84	* Every chapter of ''Fanfic/OldWest'' is initiated with short verses borrowed from various [[CountryMusic country songs]] in order to [[ThematicThemeTune either capture the chapter's mood or describe certain characters]].
85	* ''Fanfic/OrIsHeBoth'' does this at the start of each chapter to emulate ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''.
86	* The ''Master Kadoc & Caster'' arc of [[WebComic/P1Crypter P1 Crypters]] concludes with the AltText featuring the final lines from ''Theatre/FaustSecondPartOfTheTragedy'' as Kadoc successfully summons [[spoiler:Anastasia.]]
87	->''The indescribable,\
88	Here, is done:\
89	Woman, eternal,\
90	Beckons us on.''
91	* ''{{Fanfic/Paradoxus}}'':
92	** The [[Recap/ParadoxusPrologo prologue]] opens with a bit of dialogue between two NamedByTheAdaptation, [[OCStandIn OC Stand-Ins]] who by the time the fanfic takes place, are both long dead --Hellis, nymph of the sun, and Nótt Skoð, nymph of time and the void. They are talking about how YouCantFightFate, a CentralTheme of the fic. Their inclusion also serves two establish three facts that are mostly [[RewatchBonus reread bonuses]]. One, the Great Dragon's nymphs are going to be of key relevance throughout the plot. Two, it reaffirms that time travel kickstarts the plot but also foreshadows that [[spoiler:it's part of the reason why things are the way they are]]. And three, it [[LawOfConservationOfDetail brings attention to an important detail]], that Nótt's reincarnation ([[spoiler:aka Morrigan, Daphne's daughter]]) is an important behind-the-scenes player.
93	** Unlike the prologue's, the [[Recap/ParadoxusCapitulo01 first chapter]]'s introductory quote is not attributed to any character and it's much more straightforward in its connection to the fanfic's plot and CentralTheme. It crystallizes every important character's hopes that going back in time would solve their problems. Trisha and Altalune are determined to save their mom from an untimely death, Sylvanas wants to protect her people while staying away from her hellish afterlife, and Aen'da seeks an ally against the Burning Legion.
94	** The [[Recap/ParadoxusCapitulo02 second chapter]] begins with another unattributed quote that makes reference not to the central theme but to the main characters' wants throughout the plot. They all wish to preserve all the fragile, loved things or people they lost in a previous timeline thanks to the chaos brought by the Burning Legion. In Trisha, Altalune, and Stacy's cases, it's their mothers. For Galadwen, the aim is to prevent as much destruction as possible by eradicating the demons with a united elven front.
95	** The [[Recap/ParadoxusCapitulo03 third chapter]]'s introductory quote that it's indeed Bloom's encounter with Galadwen that sets the events of the plot--they are two who were fated to meet. It makes Galadwen aware of Eudora already making moves on the Magix dimension and makes her realize the true Aspect of Fire is not a bonafide elf but a fairy carrying a Titan-like deity's power.
96	** [[Recap/ParadoxusCapitulo04 Chapter 04]]: {{Subverted}} in the sense that all chapters prior, the prologue included, open with a quote or bit of dialogue. This one doesn't, implying that the meaning of the third chapter's epigraph still applies. Since Bloom already met Galadwenl, the only other relevant thing that happens is Galadwen's accidental bond with Trisha through her mother. In other words, the "starting point" might be not what it seems at first glance.
97	** The [[Recap/ParadoxusCapitulo05 fifth chapter]]'s opening line aptly describes the Oðrsson sisters' TheDeterminator attitude toward the Legion's invasion and their mother's demise. They are unwilling to resign to their and the dimension's doomed fates without their most powerful guardian fairies; they also rebel at the thought of their destroyed family. It also shows that, given how much they've lost and been through, the sisters would rather die with a bang while trying to improve their situation than just accept it all quietly.
98	* ''Fanfic/PeaceForgedInFire'' opens part 2 with the final verse and chorus of Music/{{Pink}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCDVfMz15M "Try."]]
99	* ''Fanfic/PeaceOfMindPieceOfHeart'': Every chapter begins with one of these.
100	* ''Fanfic/ProjectFreelancerPhaseOneGenesis'' mixes quotes from books, movies, and tv shows with [[EncyclopediaExposita journal entries]] from the [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlue Freelancers]]. The authors are particularly fond of ''Literature/DresdenFiles'' quotes.
101	* "Fanfic/SolaereSsiunHnaifvdaenn" uses [[AsTheGoodBookSays a line from]] Literature/TheQuran, appropriate considering the primary viewpoint character is Lieutenant Commander Jaleh Khoroushi, an Iranian Muslim:
102	-->“And tell my servants that they should speak in a most kindly manner [unto those who do not share their beliefs]. Verily, Satan is always ready to stir up discord between men; for verily, Satan is man’s foe. Hence, We have not sent you [unto men O Prophet] with power to determine their Faith.”
103	* ''Fanfic/TheSonOfTheEmperor'': At the start of each is chapter is a quote, usually from a historical figure.
104	* ''Fanfic/{{Stray\|Dahne}}'' has one for most of its chapters. A variation on [[ArcWords "What can change the nature of a man?"]] from ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' is the most common, but the story also uses quotes from ''The Waste Land,'' ''Evangelion,'' and other works.
105	* ''Fanfic/AThingOfVikings'' has each chapter open with an epigraph sourced from a fictional work from the future of the alternate history, which give painless exposition on some element of foreshadowing or worldbuilding, with the framing for each being as varied as textbooks, to a Norse-flavored Wiki, to military dossiers on the dragon breeds.
106	%%* ''Fanfic/ThisPresentDarkness'': Every chapter has at least one.
107	* ''Fanfic/TiberiumWars'': Each chapter starts with a suitable quotation -- most are from sources in-universe, but the very first is a famous line by Robert Heinlein about the importance of the military.
108	* In ''Fanfic/ToTheStars'' each chapter starts with one or two excerpts from in-universe works such as history books, instructions, documentations, documentaries etc. etc, that are relevant to the chapter. And one ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''.
109	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
110	** Chapter 1 of ''Fanfic/CourtneyAndTheViolinOfDespair'' begins with a {{morality ballad}} from the Creator/GilbertAndSullivan operetta, ''Theatre/{{Patience}}'', emphasizing Courtney’s good nature and the fact that she totally does not deserve [[ButtMonkey what’s about to happen to her]].
111	** Chapter 2 of ''Fanfic/{{Legacy\|TotalDrama}}'' begins with a quote from the [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] play, ''Theatre/RichardII''.
112	** In ''Fanfic/TotalDramaIslandByGilbertAndSullivan'', all of the episode plot summaries start with a verse or verse fragment that fits the episode's tone or major events.
113	* ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/142103 Turnabout Reunion]]'' starts with a excerpt from chapter 2 of the ''WebAnimation/TurnaboutStorm'' [[RecursiveFanfiction fan]] {{novelization}}, so as to not keep readers out of the loop.
114	* ''Fanfic/TheWarOfTheMasters'': Several of the authors are major music geeks in addition to Trekkies, and nearly every story uses multiple songs as epigraphs. Some also cite {{Fictional Document}}s such as K'Ragh's memoir ''Foolish Notions''.
115	** ''Fanfic/AGoodCompromise'' borrows [[https://youtu.be/wpSunpfXoCg "Sacrifice"]] from the soundtrack of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' volume 2. The lyrics are seemingly being used to refer to the Dominion.
116	** "Fanfic/TheOnlyWayToGo" uses the Music/BrantleyGilbert song [[https://youtu.be/8IMn4c4MwM0 "One Hell of an Amen,"]] whose chorus also provides the story's title.
117	** "Fanfic/RemembranceOfTheFallen" uses a line from Creator/MattStover's ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' novelization:
118	--->“The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins--but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. Love is more than a candle. Love can ignite the stars.”
119	* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2643999/1/YuGiOh-Lady-of-Dragons Yu-Gi-Oh: Lady of Dragons]]'' opens every chapter with a quote; sources range from Creator/{{Aristotle}} to Music/{{Queen}} to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
123	* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' movies frequently have an inspirational quote at the end of the credits, usually credited to Barbie herself.
124	* ''WesternAnimation/ChildrenVSWizards'' opens with a quote from political scientist and philosopher Oleg Matveychev about what it means to be a Russian, thereby setting up [[PatrioticFervor the story's main theme]].
125	-->"RUSSIAN - that's how foreigners generally address anyone who speaks Russian. And there's nothing that can be done about it now.\
126	I would add that a Russian is a person who loves Russia -- their motherland and any people nearby -- their fellow countrymen."
127	* ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons'' ends with a quote from Creator/WaltDisney showing source of the film's [[ArcWords arc motto]] "Keep moving forward."
128	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' features three verses about Moses, sourced from the Literature/BookOfDeuteronomy, the New Testament and Literature/TheQuran, at the very end of the credits.
129	* The mid-credits of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' features a quote from the late Creator/StanLee: "That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
133	* ''Film/TheAbyss'' opens with a title card with a quote by Creator/FriedrichNietzsche's "...when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you."
134	* ''Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime'', which dramatizes the making of ''Series/DoctorWho'' from its inception to the departure of Creator/WilliamHartnell in 1966, opens with a recreation of one of Creator/TheBBC's channel idents from the 1960s, with the {{continuity announce\|ment}}r reciting Hartnell's line from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E6TheAztecs "The Aztecs"]] stating that "you can't rewrite history, not one line."
135	* ''Film/AllTooWellTheShortFilm'' opens with a quote from Creator/PabloNeruda, since it accompanies a LoveNostalgiaSong.
136	-->Love is so short, but forgetting is so long.
137	* ''Film/Anon2018'' opens with lines from a 19th century poem expressing how the poet wants to be invisible even to {{God}}, reflecting on everybody's memories in the film being recorded by law.
138	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/TheBigShort''. "Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry." - Overheard at a Washington D.C. Bar.
139	* The opening credits sequence of ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' includes a four-line quotation of the song "Changes" by Music/DavidBowie.
140	* The beginning of ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' has [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietzsche]]'s [[StockQuotes Stock Quote]] "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
141	* ''Film/{{Cyberjack}}'', the cheesy Michael Dudikoff sci-fi action movie about a bunch of terrorists storming a building to steal a computer super-virus, opens with a quote by, of all people, Creator/StephenHawking.
142	* ''Film/DoTheRightThing'' ends with ''two'' quotes to underline the conflict of the movie: one by UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, arguing that violence is never justified, and one by UsefulNotes/MalcolmX arguing that violence in self-defense ''is'' justified.
143	* ''Film/TheEqualizer'' opens with a quote [[BeamMeUpScotty incorrectly attributed]] to Creator/MarkTwain: "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why."
144	* ''Film/EvilEaster3'' opens with a quote from religious historian Mattias Gardell that "national socialism could be defeated with garlic". The quote is (purposely) taken out of context, as the text the quote is taken from is critical to the idea of [[spoiler:{{Ghostapo}} occult nazi]] conspiracies.
145	* ''Film/GhostbustersFrozenEmpire'' opens somewhat obviously with Creator/RobertFrost's 'Fire and Ice', in it's entirety.
146	* ''Literature/TheHagakure'' is quoted throughout the gangster flick ''Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai'' starring Creator/ForrestWhitaker as a gangster hitman, using title cards.
147	* ''Film/TheGreatBeauty'' starts with a quote from ''Literature/JourneyToTheEndOfTheNight''.
148	* ''Film/TheHouseByTheCemetery'' ends with a quote "No one will ever know whether the children are monsters or the monsters are children", which is falsely attributed to the writer Henry James (film's director Creator/LucioFulci actually came up with it).
149	* ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' begins with this quote from Chris Hedges: "The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug."
150	* ''Film/JojoRabbit'' has a poem from Rainer Maria Rilke before the credits roll: "Let everything happen to you / Beauty and terror / Just keep going / No feeling is final."
151	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/KillBill'' which quotes "Revenge is a dish best served cold" which is falsely attributed as being an [[InTheOriginalKlingon old Klingon]] [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan proverb]].
152	* ''Film/LadyBird'' opens with a Joan Didion quote: "Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento."
153	* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' ends with a (fictional) quote from The First History Man: "Where must we go... we who wander this Wasteland in search of our better selves?"
154	* Three ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' films open with a quote:
155	** ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors Dream Warriors]]'' opens with Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's "Sleep, those little slices of death — how I loathe them."
156	** ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet4TheDreamMaster The Dream Master]]'' opens with "When deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake." (''Literature/TheBible'', [[Literature/BookOfJob Job IV, 13-14]]).
157	** ''Film/FreddysDeadTheFinalNightmare'' opens with two quotations; first one is Creator/FriedrichNietzsche's "Do you know the terror of he who falls asleep? To the toes he is very terrified, because the ground gives the way under him, and the dream begins..." and the second one comes from Freddy himself ("[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors Welcome to prime time, bitch]].")
158	* ''Film/{{Nope}}'' starts with a passage from the Book of Nahum: "I will cast abominable filth at you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle."
159	* To bring context to the brutality that is about to be shown, ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'' brings us this abbreviated quote from [[Literature/BookOfIsaiah Isaiah 53:5]]: "He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; by His wounds we are healed."
160	* ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1989'' opens with a quote from St. Jean Vitius of Rouen about making a DealWithTheDevil. The guy in question actually never existed.
161	* ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' has "The dead are alive", before opening on a parade during Día de Muertos in Mexico, where Film/JamesBond follows the trail of a villain.
162	* ''Film/StepsTroddenBlack'' opens with an excerpt from The Road Not Taken, from which it takes its title.
163	* The ending of ''Film/TearsOfTheSun'', a movie centering around Navy [=SEALs=] helping a group of refugees escape genocide-ridden Nigeria, has a quote attributed to (but probably not written by) Edmund Burke before the ending credits start: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
164	* ''Film/TheTreeOfLife'' opens with a quotation from [[Literature/BookOfJob Job 38:4-7]]: "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation ... while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
165	* The 2010 remake of ''Film/TrueGrit'' begins with [[Literature/BookOfProverbs Proverbs 28:1]], "The wicked flee when none pursueth."
166	* Creator/JessFranco's ''Film/{{Venus In Furs\|Franco}} ends with a quotation from Creator/JohnDonne:
167	-->I runne to death, and death meets me as fast,\
168	And all my pleasures are like yesterday
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
172	* Each ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' episode begins with a (fictional) quote.
173	* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' usually begins and ends with an epigraph read by whichever character the episode focuses on.
174	* ''Series/Frontier2016'': Every episode is preceded by a quote that sounds like it could have been made by an 18th-century writer commenting on the nature of power, perseverence, or man's soul, but invariably turns out to be someone rather unexpected for a historical drama, like Music/{{Beyonce}}.
175	* The first episode of ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'' cuts to a ''Theatre/KingLear'' quote about 5 minutes in. In the middle of a scene. For no reason.
176	* Every episode of ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' begins with a quote. Usually from a fairy tale, but as the series went on they started having to widen their sources a bit.
177	* ''Series/IronChef'' always begins with a quote from French epicurean Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."
178	* All first season episodes of ''Series/Millennium1996'' save for the pilot have a literary quote intertitle between TheTeaser and act one. The practice was mostly dropped after that, but with the occasional return.
179	* Every episode of ''{{Series/Wilfred}}'' begins with a quote, with one word highlighted to reveal the episode's title and [[CentralTheme theme]].
180	* ''Series/TheWire'' has an epigraph to each episode, always a quote from later in that episode, usually with an ironic subtext in hindsight.
181	* One episode of ''Series/TheXFiles'' opens with a quote from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryIV'': "For nothing can seem foul to those that win."
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Music]]
185	* Music/ClaudeDebussy's suite ''En blanc et noir'' for two pianos has epigraphs for its otherwise untitled movements.
186	* Several of Music/DoctorSteel's songs have epigraphs, some sampled from old Public Service Announcements such as "Film/DuckAndCover", others deliberately done as a parody of such announcements.
187	* Most of the tracks on Music/{{Sabaton}}'s ''The Art of War'' album have relevant quotes from [[Literature/TheArtOfWarSunTzu the book of the same name]] either at the start or the end of the song.
188	* In keeping with Music/KanyeWest having an ego [[ItsAllAboutMe the size of Jupiter]], rather then having a epigraph at the start of the music video for his song "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," he instead quotes ''himself'' from the song about to play.
189	* Music/RalphVaughanWilliams's ''Sinfonia Antartica'' has quotations preceding each of its five movements. These are sometimes recited. (Which is wrong, because the composer explicitly instructed that they should be printed in the programme to be read silently by the listeners, and because recitation destroys the ''attacca'' transition into the fourth movement.)
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Radio]]
193	* ''Radio/DimensionX'''s "[[Recap/DimensionX31Universe Universe]]": At the start of this episode, which was based on Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/{{Universe}}'', an in-universe [[SacredScripture holy book]] is quoted. The scripture is also cited about four minutes later in the story, a CreationMyth that describes how everyone has a place in the world.
194	-->"In the beginning, there was Jordan, thinking his lonely thoughts. Out of the lone-ness came a longing. Out of the longing came a vision. Out of the dream came a planning, and out of the planning came a decision. Jordan's hand was lifted and the ship was born!"
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Theatre]]
198	* Tony Kushner's ''Theatre/AngelsInAmerica'':
199	** The published script of ''Millenium Approaches'' begins with this one:
200	--->''In a murderous time\
201	the heart breaks and breaks\
202	and lives by breaking.''\
203	-- '''Stanley Kunitz''', "The Testing Tree"
204	** And part two, ''Perestroika'', begins with this one:
205	--->''Because the soul is progressive, it never quite repeats itself, but in every act attempts the production of a new and fairer whole.''\
206	-- '''Creator/RalphWaldoEmerson''', "On Art"
207	* ''Dead End'' is prefaced with this Thomas Paine quotation:
208	-->"The contrast of affluence and wretchedness is like dead and living bodies chained together."
209	[[/folder]]
210
211	[[folder:Video Games]]
212	* ''VideoGame/TheAncientArtOfWar'' opens each match with a quote from [[Literature/TheArtOfWarSunTzu Sun Tzu]].
213	* A variation of sorts exists in some ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' games. Upon most player deaths, the game usually displays a quote about [[WarIsHell the more sobering realities of warfare]] (or the cost of a modern piece of military equipment).
214	* The original version of ''VideoGame/AChangeInTheWeather'' contained quotations from Music/EricBogle songs -- "A Change in the Weather" at the beginning, and "Katie and the Dreamtime Land" at the end.
215	* In ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV'', every technology has a quote with it from Literature/TheBible to Creator/OscarWilde to Sputnik 1. Narrated (mostly) by Creator/LeonardNimoy.
216	* At the beginning of "Episode 2: Memory" of ''VideoGame/Code7'', [[AIIsACrapshoot S.O.L.I.]] recites the first stanza of ''Queen Mab'' by Creator/PercyByssheShelley.
217	* ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'' opens on an excerpt from Kobo Abe's ''Nawa'' which explains the concept of the stick and rope being tools to ward off bad things and bring good things closer, respectively.
218	* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has one for each ending. For example, becoming a DeusEstMachina results in the Voltaire quote "If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent Him.".
219	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': The prologue cutscene starts with an excerpt of William Blake's "A Poison Tree":
220	-->"And it grew both day and night, till it bore an apple bright."
221	* ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'': The first lines of the game are taken from R.S. Thomas's poem "Reflections", which was also the source of the game's WorkingTitle, ''No Truce With The Furies''.
222	-->''The furies are at home in the mirror; it is their address.\
223	Even the clearest water, if deep enough can drown.''
224	-->-- '''R.S. Thomas''', "Reflections"
225	* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'':
226	** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' opens with an excerpt from a fictional, [[CrystalDragonJesus quasi-biblical]] text describing the [[PlayerCharacter Doom Slayer]]'s previous [[DemonSlaying bloody]] [[OneManArmy exploits]] throughout Hell:
227	---> So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
228	---->--Corrax Entry 7:17
229	** At the beginning of the final level of ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'''s main campaign as the Slayer jets off to defeat the [[FinalBoss Icon of Sin]], the following passage, apparently from the same fictional text, is displayed over the loading screen. This is in contrast to all of the previous pre-level blurbs, which contained information to the player about what was to come in the level:
230	--->'For he will walk among us, and he will smite the evil from this earth. For he who comes in our time of need is not of mortal breed, he is the Destroyer, the right hand of our Creator and the one who brings fear where there is no hope.' Corrax tablet 3:13
231	*** At the end of ''[[DownloadableContent The Ancient Gods: Part Two]]'', [[spoiler:the Doom Slayer has finally killed [[GreaterScopeVillain Davoth]], [[GodIsEvil the Dark Lord]], [[KeystoneArmy and thus every demon outside of Hell]], but [[PostVictoryCollapse Post-Victory Collapses]] afterward, as his power was drawn from Davoth all along. After being interred in a coffin [[{{Bookends}} that resembles the one that he was awoken from]], the screen fades to black and displays the following text, pulled from the previous game's opening epigraph, to show that his [[VideoGameLongRunners twenty-eight-year]] war against Hell is finally over:]]
232	---->[[spoiler:May the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.]]
233	* ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' starts with a quote from Henri de Régnier. ''The delightful and ever-novel pleasure of a useless occupation.'' It plays with the idea of the NewGamePlus option. [[spoiler:It's also a reference to the ever repeating cycle of the Arisen becoming the Seneschall and existing to provide life to the world only to be replaced by the next Arisen.]]
234	* Occurs several times in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''. The first (The best techniques are passed on by the survivors) and the third (Each event is preceded by prophesy; but without the Hero there is no event).
235	* ''VideoGame/{{Eversion}}'' was originally created for a contest for games inspired by passages from Creator/HPLovecraft's notebook. Accordingly, the game opens with the chosen passage (which alludes to the character's eponymous power):
236	-->sounds - possibly musical - heard in the night from other worlds or realms of being.
237	* Before the title screen, ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' has the first stanza from ''Literature/TheRaven'' by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe.
238	* At several points in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', there will be a quote from a book written by the character Ondore, who also functions as a narrator upon the larger plot of the game. This also extends to its setting prequel, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', which feature quotes from a Saint Ajora Glabados, the inspiration for the game's CorruptChurch.
239	* ''VisualNovel/TheFountain'' opens with a quote from ''Ode to Aphrodite'' by Creator/{{Sappho}}:
240	-->"I beg you, do not break my spirit, with pain or sorrow, but come -- if ever before from far away you heard my voice and listened."
241	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'': The game opens with a quote by Greek philosopher Plato: "The measure of a man is what he does with power".
242	* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' contains one or several poems signed Frederica Bernkastel in the beginning, the middle or the end of the arc. They are cryptic but often contains clues or show the emotions that [[spoiler:Rika, the true protagonist]] goes through. Sadly, they were not present in the anime version but the ones found in the novels and the manga can be found [[Trivia/HigurashiWhenTheyCry here]].
243	* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' begins with a quote from an in-universe poem, Monomon the Teacher's ''Elegy for Hallownest'':
244	-->''In wilds beyond they speak your name with reverence and regret,\
245	For none could tame our savage souls yet you the challenge met,\
246	Under palest watch, you taught, we changed, base instincts were redeemed,\
247	A world you gave to bug and beast as they had never dreamed.''
248	* ''VideoGame/InFamous'' has these on loading screens that come up, usually when the day changes. The themes are on the ([[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility potentially]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity destructive]]) nature of power. For example:
249	-->''"If you want to test a man's character, give him power."''
250	--->--'''UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln'''
251	* Beating ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII'' with Ash Crimson ends with the ''Literature/PippaPasses'' poem by Creator/RobertBrowning, which was also used as ArcWords in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': "God's in His Heaven, All's right with the world!"
252	* ''VideoGame/LayersOfFear'' starts with an excerpt from ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'',
253	--> ''Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a painting of the artist, not of the sitter.''
254	* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard'', a game about the US Paratroopers in World War Two, opens with this quote from General Dwight D. Eisenhower: 'I do not believe in the Airborne Division.'
255	* ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'' ends with a quote from Dr. Light: "Humans and robots living together in harmony and equality. That was my ultimate wish."
256	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' follows up its audio-only introduction of the Third Boy at the start of the game with a quote from Romanian philosopher Emil Cioran:
257	-->''It is no nation we inhabit, but a language. Make no mistake; our native tongue is our true fatherland.''
258	* TheStinger in ''[[VideoGame/MetalSlug Metal Slug 3D]]'' ends with the words, "In history, there is no end."
259	* Some of Creator/GrahamNelson's works start with a quote from another work.
260	** ''VideoGame/{{Curses}}'' begins by quoting Shakespeare's ''Theatre/AntonyAndCleopatra''.
261	** ''VideoGame/{{Jigsaw}}'' begins by quoting Creator/TSEliot's "Gerontion".
262	** ''VideoGame/TheMeteorTheStoneAndALongGlassOfSherbet'' begins by quoting [[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken the final paragraph]] of "The Road Not Taken" by Creator/RobertFrost.
263	** ''[[https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=rnsj9vbk0ewwip61 Ruins]]'' begins by quoting the ''Literature/PopolVuh''.
264	* ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'':
265	** It uses [[Literature/BookOfGenesis Genesis 3:24]] over the opening movie to great effect:
266	--->''Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.''\
267	-- Conclave Bible, Datalinks
268	** There's a video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=035cpHEowS4 here]].
269	** ''Alpha Centauri'' also has quotes for each tech and facility. Most of them are fictional quotes from the faction leaders, while there are literary or other references sprinkled in.
270	* ''VideoGame/{{SOMA}}'' opens with a quote from Creator/PhilipKDick.
271	--> ''Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.''
272	* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: [[DownloadableContent Octo Expansion]]'' opens with this cryptic poem:
273	-->''Pale summer moonlight shimmers on the seafloor.\
274	An octopus, unaware that dawn will bring capture,\
275	Rests within a trap, dreaming fleeting dreams...''
276	* Every run in ''VideoGame/{{Suzerain}}'' starts with quote by Nazım Hikmet Ran from his short poem titled "You":
277	-->''You are my enslavement and my freedom.\
278	You are my flesh burning like a raw summer night.\
279	You are my country.''
280	* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
281	** ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'': "If there is evil in this world, it lurks in the hearts of men."
282	** ''VideoGame/TalesOfHearts'' opens with the in-universe "Sleeping Beauty" nursery rhyme.
283	%%* ''VideoGame/TooHuman'' used the Creator/FriedrichNietzsche quote "[[HeWhoFightsMonsters Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one]]" in its advertising material. Not sure if it's used in the game itself.
284	* The ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series tends to feature epigraphs in its loading screens.
285	* Most ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' games begin with a quote from a famous real-life explorer, whose historical adventures are relevant to the respective game's storyline. Click to open each article to read the quotes:
286	** ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' opens with a quote from UsefulNotes/SirFrancisDrake.
287	** ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' continues the tradition with a quote from UsefulNotes/MarcoPolo.
288	** ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' has a quote attributed to UsefulNotes/TELawrence's portrayal in ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''.
289	** ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'' features a quote from the pirate [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every Henry Avery]].
290	** ''VideoGame/UnchartedGoldenAbyss'' contains a line from a letter by UsefulNotes/FranciscoVazquezDeCoronado about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcos_de_Niza Marcos de Niza]].
291	* ''VideoGame/{{XenoGears}}'': The opening recites a passage from ''Revelation 22:13''; "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last".
292	* Every time you boot up an ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' game, you're treated to a quote from somebody like Creator/ArthurCClarke or UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein.
293	* ''VideoGame/XCom'':
294	** ''VideoGame/XcomEnemyUnknown'' opens with an Creator/ArthurCClarke quote:
295	--->''Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.''
296	** The [[DownloadableContent expansion pack]] ''XCOM: Enemy Within'' replaces it with a quote by R. Buckminster Fuller:
297	--->''Those who play with the devil's toys will by degrees be brought to wield his sword.''
298	* ''VideoGame/YuGiOhTheFalseboundKingdom'' starts with a quote attributed to "Alexander Irvine, philosopher". However, this doesn't seem to be a real person, but is more likely an in-universe relative of ''Scott'' Irvine, the game's BigBad- especially since, at the end of the game, Scott's last words tie back to the epigraph.
299	[[/folder]]
300
301	[[folder:Web Animation]]
302	* ''WebAnimation/BrokenSaints'' has an apropos quote at the beginning ''and'' end of each of the 24 chapters. The exception is in Chapter 24, which also has one at the beginning of each act.
303	* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'': [[Recap/HazbinHotelS1E0ThatsEntertainment The pilot]] ends by showing a quote from Creator/LotteReiniger:
304	-->"Animation is basically not so much a technical implement as the expression of the spirit behind it. To see that that spirit goes into your shooting must be your overriding ambition."
305	[[/folder]]
306
307	[[folder:Web Comics]]
308	* Every chapter of ''Webcomic/StarImpact'' ends with a fictional in-universe quote, each of which {{Title Drop}}s the chapter's name:
309	--> '''Chapter 1:''' ''If it makes impact, then it's a ''meteorite''.''\
310	'''Chapter 2:''' ''It can exist without either, but without the moon and stars, the ''night sky'' is incomplete.''\
311	'''Chapter 3:''' ''A ''dragon'' is not evil. No, to devour heroes and kings its but its nature. A reality.''
312	* ''Webcomic/TheTenTailorsOfWestonCourt'' opens with a quote from George "Beau" Brummell regarding the tailor John Weston:
313	--> "That fellow Weston is an inimitable fellow - a little defective perhaps in his linings, but irreproachable for principle and button-holes. He came to London, sir, without a shilling; and he counts more realized thousands than our fat friend does frogs on his Brandenburg. He is not only rich, but brave; not only brave, but courteous; and not alone courteous, but candid."
314	[[/folder]]
315
316	[[folder:Web Original]]
317	* ''WebVideo/AMVHell 3'' parodies the then-recent ''Film/KillBill'' epigraph with "At Least I Have Chicken"... still credited as an old Klingon proverb. Future installments would have epigraphs of their own, presented in the same style.
318	* The chapters from Robert J. Defendi's podcast ''Podcast/DeathByCliche'' are all prefaced by gag quotes attributed to the author, often [[SelfDeprecation mocking the action of the chapter they precede]], (particularly those with many {{SaidBookism}}s), or complaining about having to do so many chapter quotes.
319	* Website/ItHeSoftware has these on the pages for ''[[http://it-he.org/theef.htm Thief]]'' and ''[[http://it-he.org/oblivion.htm Elder Scrolls: Oblivion]]'' walkthroughs. Quotes from various sources also pop up frequently in the middle.
320	* ''Literature/SailorNothing'' uses quotes from ''Literature/TheHagakure''.
321	* Website/TVTropes, of course, includes quotes at the beginning of most articles.
322	[[/folder]]
323
324	[[folder:Western Animation]]
325	* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', where the episode "Ocean of Fear" BookEnds with omninous epigraph-style quotes about fear from Pat [=McHale=]... ''one of the show's staff members'', effectively giving the show an epigraph [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment from itself]].
326	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'':
327	** "Return of the King" starts with an epigraph quoting UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, which is about how he wanted the next generation of black Americans to understand that [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement the privileges they'll have in the future, did not come without sacrifice]]; but only to be followed by a dismissive anonymous reply of "[[ApatheticCitizens Whatever, nigga]]". It's pretty important to the overall message.
328	** "Stinkmeaner: Begun the Clone War Has" opens with the famous "{{He who fights monsters}}" quote from Creator/FriedrichNietzsche's book ''[[TropeNamer Beyond Good and Evil]]''. Likewise it's also relevant to the episode's theme, which involves our protagonist Robert almost becoming exactly like his {{archnemesis}} Stinkmeaner.
329	* Every episode of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' starts with an epigraph relating to the moral the characters will need to learn in the style of the ''[[InternalHomage "a-galaxy-far-far-away font"]]'' used in the films. Though, a lot of the time, it's just [[IceCreamKoan flowery-sounding nonsense]]. (The exception is the four-part "Siege of Mandalore" finale arc.)
330	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Epigraph