Original artwork, not a still
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
— Pulp Fiction · 1994
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The line sounds like scripture and plays like a threat, and part of its pull is that Jules half-believes his own performance. Fans love that most of it was invented, and the opening words are the part people recite: the speech sits among the most quoted movie speeches, ranked fourth in one 2004 poll, and is imitated by anyone with a deep voice and a dramatic pause.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pulp FictionShow the scene
This is the opening of the Ezekiel 25:17 speech that Jules Winnfield recites to Brett in the film's first story, just before he and Vincent kill him. The same recitation returns at the start of "The Bonnie Situation" and, with its final line changed, in the diner epilogue. The speech is only partly biblical: its first lines are stitched together from various scripture phrases, and the verse itself and the idea of a creed before a killing come from the opening of the 1976 Sonny Chiba film Karate Kiba (The Bodyguard).
Sources (2)
- Pulp Fiction, WikipediaSection "Jules' Bible passage"Reference checked
- Pulp Fiction (1994) script transcript, Springfield! Springfield!Brett's apartment sceneReference checked
Context reviewed
