Line #10 Quotes/DoomedMoralVictor


1	-> ''"Happily virtue is natural to the people, despite aristocratic prejudices to the contrary. A nation is truly corrupt when, having gradually lost its character and its liberty, it passes from democracy to aristocracy or to monarchy; this is the death of the body politic through decrepitude. When after four hundred years of glory avarice finally drove from Sparta its morality together with the laws of Lycurgus, Agis died in vain trying to bring them back. Demosthenes thundered in vain against Philip [of Macedon], Philip found more eloquent advocates than Demosthenes among the degenerate inhabitants of Athens. There was still as large a population in Athens as in the times of Miltiades and Aristides, but there were no longer any true Athenians. And what did it matter that Brutus killed a tyrant? Tyranny still lived in every heart, and Rome existed only in Brutus."''
2	-->-- '''UsefulNotes/MaximilienRobespierre'''
3
4	->''"There is hope, but not for us."''
5	-->-- '''Creator/FranzKafka'''
6
7	->''"You have the moral high ground. I can't change that... but I can destroy you."''
8	-->-- '''Jack Donaghy''', ''Series/ThirtyRock'', "Season 4"
9
10	->'''Hobbes:''' ..Um... has Stupendous Man ''ever'' won a battle?\
11	'''Calvin:''' Well, they're all ''moral'' victories.
12	-->-- ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''
13
14	->'''Rose Tyler:''' Doctor, they've got guns.\
15	'''The Doctor:''' And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think? They can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine.
16	-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E12ArmyOfGhosts Army of Ghosts]]"
17
18	->''"I have loved justice, and hated iniquity, and therefore die in exile."''
19	-->-- '''Pope Gregory VII'''
20
21	->''"As summer turned to fall and additional recruits did not arrive, [John] Brown decided to go with what he had. A sort of fatalism stole over him. He wrote a "Vindication of the Invasion" in the past tense as if it had already failed. When he finally moved, in mid-October, he did so without previous notice to the slaves he expected to join him, without rations, without having scouted any escape routes from Harper's Ferry, with no apparent idea of what to do after capturing the armory buildings. It was almost as if he knew that failure with its ensuing martyrdom would do more to achieve his ultimate goal than any "success" could have done. In any event, that was how matters turned out."''
22	-->-- '''James [=McPherson=]''', ''Battle Cry for Freedom'
23
24	->''"Better early to your grave than late to your own humanity."''
25	-->-- [[spoiler:'''Captain Brenner''']], ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Days of Ruin]]''
26
27	->''"My body may die; I may be reduced to but a single drop of blood. But those with Kenshiro's courage will rise time and again to face you; while you, Raoh, will live for the rest of your life but a mere terrified coward!!"''
28	-->--'''Fudoh of the Mountain''', ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''
29
30	->''"Boy oh boy. The price of freedom is steep..."''
31	-->-- [[spoiler:'''Zack''']], ''VideoGame/CrisisCore''
32
33	->''"The whole world will vilify us now, but I am still totally convinced that we did the right thing. Hitler is the archenemy not only of Germany but of the world. When, in few hours' time, I go before God to account for what I have done and left undone, I know I will be able to justify what I did in the struggle against Hitler."''
34	-->-- '''Major General Herrmann Karl Robert Henning von Tresckow'''
35
36	->''"At every step you will hear the bones crumbling under foot, and maybe you shall hear the wind-blown voices of the dead -- guiding you forward or leading you to your doom. Yes, my children, the way to the mountain is cruel and unforgiving. And of those who struggle their long lives, spending their energy and vigour in the climb, who then can taste the melt-water of the summit and say, 'Yes... yes it was worthwhile?'"''
37	-->-- '''First Book of the Astronomicon, Parables''', ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''
38
39	->'''[[spoiler:Catalyst]]''': Your time is at an end. [[SadisticChoice You must decide]].\
40	'''Shepard''': No. I'm going to end this war on my terms.\
41	'''[[spoiler:Catalyst]]''': Then you are going to die knowing that you failed to save everything you fought for.\
42	'''Shepard''': I fight for freedom, mine and everybody's. I fight for the right to choose our own fate. And if I die, I'll die knowing that I did everything I could to stop you. [[IDieFree And I'll die free]].\
43	'''[[spoiler:Catalyst]]''': [[AC:SO BE IT.]]
44	-->-- ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', the final conversation that leads to the [[FaceDeathWithDignity 'Refuse']] [[DownerEnding ending]]
45
46	->''"...I may not have what it takes to last for long, but that's okay. Because at least I can say when the world goes to shit, I didn't let it take me down with it."''
47	-->-- '''Dale Horvath''', ''Series/TheWalkingDead2010''
48
49	->'''Wan''': There wasn't enough time.\
50	'''Raava''': Don't worry. We will be together for all of your lifetimes. And we will never give up.
51	-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', ''Beginnings Part 2''
52
53	->''"PORTIUS: 'Tis not in mortals to command success; but we'll do more, Sempronius--we'll deserve it."''
54	-->-- '''Joseph Addison''', ''Cato, a Tragedy''
55
56	->''"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."''
57	-->-- '''[[Literature/TheBible John 3:16]]''', the most famous verse of the New Testament
58
59	->'''Cole:''' Half as long...\
60	'''[[spoiler:Zeke:]]''' ...twice as bright. ...I gotta try.\
61	'''Cole:''' I know.
62	-->-- ''VideoGame/InFamous2'', Evil ending
63
64	->'''[[MartialPacifist Gohan]]:''' P-Please! I take back what I said about my hidden power! I don't wanna fight you! This is my Dad's fight, not mine! So I'm begging you: just rein them in! Give my dad a Senzu Bean and- \
65	'''Cell:''' ''And'' there it is.\
66	'''Gohan:''' Huh?\
67	'''Cell:''' That right there...that is why I despise you. You know what they all have in common? The Saiyans might be fools, the humans might be weak, and the Namekian might not belong...but they're still out there fighting. Not just for their lives, but for this dung hill of a world.\
68	(Cut to Krillin getting stomped by Cell Jrs)\
69	'''Cell:''' See? Even Krillin's doing his best! \
70	'''[[DamnedByFaintPraise Krillin:]]''' Thanks for noticing! Ugh!\
71	'''Gohan:''' KRILLIN!\
72	'''Cell:''' But none of them, boy-not ''a one''-shares that trait with you so vile, it drives me to retch! ''You'', Gohan...[[BrutalHonesty are a coward]]. \
73	'''Gohan:''' [[LittleNo No]]... I'm just a pacifist! \
74	'''Cell:''' ''So'' a coward patting himself on the back. Congratulations, pint-size, [[PyrrhicVictory you can stand proud next to the bodies]].
75	-->-- ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''
76
77	->''"Cell was right. You think you're better than everyone else. But there you stand, the good man doing nothing. And while evil triumphs, and your rigid pacifism crumbles into bloodstained ''dust'', the only victory afforded to you is that you stuck true to your guns. You were a coward. To your last whimper."''
78	-->-- '''Android 16''' to Gohan, ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''
79
80	->''"Why is it always our people who get killed?"''
81	-->-- '''Manuel''', ''Film/{{Z}}''
82
83	->'''Cassie:''' I can’t not feel anything when there’s violence. I can’t not care about living things. I can’t be like that.\
84	'''Marco:''' Fine. You have your morals and your fine feelings and all that. We’ll go off and risk our lives to save the world. You just sit here and feel righteous. ''(leaves with Tobias)''\
85	'''Cassie:''' ''(notices Rachel's expression)'' Rachel, we can still be--\
86	'''Rachel:''' No, we can’t. See, you’ve just said the whole world can drop dead, so long as ''[[TechnicalPacifist you]]'', Cassie, don’t have to end up turning into ''[[BloodKnight me]]''.
87	-->-- ''Literature/{{Animorphs}} #19 [[Recap/AnimorphsTheDeparture The Departure]]''
88
89	->Then the world it will see, as will all of history! We had truth on our side, [[DeconstructedTrope but we still died in vain!]]
90	-->-- '''"Today We Rise"''', ''Series/{{Galavant}}''

Context Quotes / DoomedMoralVictor