Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
The history of women is the history of the worst form of tyranny the world has ever known. The tyranny of the weak over the strong. It is the only tyranny that lasts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the oppression faced by women throughout history, suggesting it is a pervasive and enduring form of tyranny.
Oscar Wilde's quote delves into the historical subjugation of women, characterizing it as a profound and lasting tyranny that contrasts with other forms of oppression. He emphasizes that this particular tyranny is not just about strength; rather, it points to societal dynamics where the marginalized exert control over the powerful, leading to a complex and often overlooked aspect of history that continues to impact society.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion on gender studies to illustrate the historical context of women's struggles.
More from Oscar Wilde
All quotes βLondon is too full of fogs and serious people. Whether the fogs produce the serious people, or whether the serious people produce the fogs, I don't know.
When one has never heard a man's name in the course of one's life, it speaks volumes for him; he must be quite respectable.
Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance.
A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it.
His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
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Politeness of the mind is to have delicate thoughts
People know about the Klan and the overt racism, but the killing of one's soul little by little, day after day, is a lot worse than someone coming in your house and lynching you.
I always adhered to the idea that God is time, or at least that His spirit is.
I'm not stupid enough to think that I can deal with another 10 or 15 years of major exposure. I think that is the ultimate tragedy of fame... People who are simply out of control, who are lost. I've seen so many of them, and I don't want to be another cliche.