A wilted leafy wreath hangs over the back of an empty wooden chair in a dim olive-and-brown room.

Original artwork, not a still

Cato • 1712

Joseph Addison

Curse all his virtues! they 've undone his country.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

This line curses a set of virtues for the damage they caused. Rather than praising good qualities, the speaker blames them directly for ruining the country. The paradox lies in treating admirable traits as the actual source of catastrophe.

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