Original artwork, not a still
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · 1997
There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Voldemort's philosophy fits in a line: morality is a story the weak tell themselves, and power is the only measure. Quirrell's version is the sound of a man who has been recruited, and the sentence is the series' clearest statement of what the heroes are fighting against, answered throughout by Dumbledore's talk of love and choice. Readers quote it as a ready-made villain creed, and as shorthand for any cynic who says might makes right.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneShow the scene
Chapter 17, "The Man with Two Faces". In the final chamber under Hogwarts, the person waiting for Harry is Quirrell, no longer stammering or timid. He explains that he was once full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil until he met Voldemort, who showed him there is only power and those too weak to seek it. That is the creed Quirrell repeats here. He goes on to reveal that Snape has been protecting Harry, that his own stutter was a disguise, and that his master is with him wherever he goes: Voldemort's face lives under his turban. In the 2001 film the words are given to Voldemort rather than to Quirrell.
Sources (2)
- Wikibooks: Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter, Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 17SynopsisReference checked
- Wikiquote: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneSection The Man with Two FacesReference checked
Context reviewed
