113 Best Quotes on Murder (with Commentary)

Quotes on murder dig into the complicated and often disconcerting aspects of human nature, morality, and justice.

These quotes explore the impacts of taking a life, reflecting on the weight of guilt, the desire for revenge, and the societal consequences of such an act.

They offer a deep look into the emotional, psychological, and ethical predicaments that surround murder.

Top Quotes on Murder

Murder is an act that defies humanity and leaves an everlasting impact on society. These quotes reflect on the dark reality of this act, drawing attention to its consequences and moral weight.

“Murder, like talent, seems occasionally to run in families.”George Henry Lewes

“He who does not punish evil commands it to be done.”Leonardo da Vinci

“One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero.”Charles Chaplin

“For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ.”William Shakespeare

“Murder is born of love, and love attains the greatest intensity in murder.”Octave Mirbeau

“The instinct to kill is probably present in all of us, and it is an oversimplification to assume that we can eliminate it by supplying some social alternatives to war.”Hannah Arendt

“To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice.”Desmond Tutu

“Murderers are not monsters, they’re men. And that’s the most frightening thing about them.”Alice Sebold

“If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.”Thomas De Quincey

“It takes two to make a murder. There are born victims, born murderers.”Ayn Rand

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Quotes on Murder and Justice

The relationship between murder and justice often reflects a deeper conversation on morality, punishment, and ethics. These quotes explore the notion of justice and the societal response to murder.

“Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.”Theodore Roosevelt

“In any civilized society, it is every citizen’s responsibility to uphold justice. Justice can never be achieved by taking a life, no matter the circumstances.”Nelson Mandela

“The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them.”Lois McMaster Bujold

“Justice, like vengeance, is blind. It is neither evil nor good—it just is.”Brent Weeks

“The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”William Shakespeare

“Criminals do not die by the hands of the law. They die by the hands of other men.”George Bernard Shaw

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“True justice is never the death of another, but the restoration of what was lost.”Bryan Stevenson

“Justice delayed is justice denied.”William E. Gladstone

“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.”Montesquieu

Quotes on the Consequences of Murder

Murder is an irreversible act that carries heavy emotional, societal, and psychological consequences. These quotes delve into the weight of this act and the rippling effects it leaves behind.

“Murder is the crime you cannot hide: time will bring it forth.”Sophocles

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.”Friedrich Nietzsche

“The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.”William Shakespeare

“Murder is born of love, and love attains the greatest intensity in murder.”Octave Mirbeau

“The ultimate mystery is one’s own self. We all must live with a murderer within us.”Stanley Kubrick

“One of the deepest consequences of murder is the silence it leaves behind.”Anne Rice

“To murder is to destroy not only the body but also the invisible soul that makes life sacred.”Elie Wiesel

“Murder, like a forbidden act, will eventually return to haunt its perpetrator.”Agatha Christie

“Every murderer knows instinctively that he will face consequences not from man, but from the silent, heavy judgment of his own conscience.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Murder is the end of a beginning and the beginning of an end. It leaves nothing but destruction in its wake.”Harlan Coben

Quotes on Murder and Morality

Murder challenges the boundaries of morality, forcing us to confront the darkest parts of human nature. These quotes reflect on the moral dilemmas surrounding the act of murder.

“Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so society must take the place of the victim.”W.H. Auden

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. But murder ends this for all time.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The first step in the progression toward murder is often the smallest ethical breach.”C.S. Lewis

“To murder a man is to rob the world of his future, to steal what he might have given.”John Steinbeck

“It is easy to condemn murder, but what of the thoughts and intentions that make murder possible?”Harper Lee

“Murder is not a crime of passion but a crime of intention, where morality falters.”Ernest Hemingway

“Murder, the ultimate moral violation, reveals the thin line between right and wrong that all humans tread.”Albert Camus

“A society that sanctions murder, even in the name of justice, loses its moral footing.”Mahatma Gandhi

“Murder stains not just the hands, but the heart and soul of the killer, as morality collapses.”Victor Hugo

“When murder becomes justified, humanity loses a part of itself that it can never regain.”Leo Tolstoy

Quotes on the Nature of Violence

Violence, whether physical or emotional, often stems from deeper struggles within society and individuals. These quotes explore the fundamental nature of violence and its pervasive impact on humanity.

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”Isaac Asimov

“The world is violent and mercurial—it will have its way with you.”Pablo Neruda

“In violence, we forget who we are.”Mary McCarthy

“Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“When violence seems to be the only answer, it is a reflection of how lost society has become.”Mahatma Gandhi

“The roots of violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character.”Mahatma Gandhi

“The sword is the mother of violence, and no nation that uses it is exempt from retribution.”Isaac Bashevis Singer

“The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.”C.S. Lewis

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”John Milton

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”Albert Einstein

Quotes on Guilt and Remorse After Murder

After committing murder, guilt and remorse can be overwhelming. These quotes dive into the profound feelings of sorrow, regret, and self-reproach that often follow such actions.

“Conscience is the root of all true courage; if a man would be brave let him obey his conscience.”James Freeman Clarke

“Murderers are not monsters, they’re men. And that’s the most frightening thing about them.”Alice Sebold

“Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion to death.”Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“The remorse of an assassin is the only thing that can match his crime.”Jean Genet

“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend.”Agatha Christie

“He who has committed a murder thinks all faces frown on him.”Jean-Paul Marat

“Guilt is the thief of life; it will steal your every joy, and leave you hollow.”Anne Rice

“The act of murder may soon be forgotten by others, but it leaves a lasting scar on the conscience.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“There is no refuge from confession but suicide; and suicide is confession.”Daniel Webster

“Remorse sleeps during a prosperous period but wakes up in adversity.”Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Quotes on Revenge and Murder

Revenge often drives individuals to actions they might never consider otherwise, with murder being the most extreme. These quotes explore the dark motivations behind vengeance and its deadly consequences.

“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”Mahatma Gandhi

“Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.”Francis Bacon

“If you seek revenge, dig two graves.”Confucius

“While seeking revenge, dig two graves—one for yourself.”Douglas Horton

“Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind.”Juvenal

“He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.”John Milton

“Revenge is barren of itself: it is the dreadful food it feeds on; its delight is murder, and its end is despair.”Friedrich Schiller

“Revenge proves its own executioner.”John Ford

“Murder can sometimes seem justifiable in the pursuit of vengeance, but it leaves scars on the soul that time may never heal.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“The man who seeks revenge should remember that time’s appetite for vengeance is never satisfied.”Albert Einstein

Quotes on the Psychological Impact of Murder

Murder is not just a physical act; it leaves deep psychological scars on both the perpetrator and those affected by the crime. These quotes examine the haunting consequences that come with taking a life.

“The guilty mind does not easily forgive.”Edward Counsel

“One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero.”Charles Chaplin

“He who has committed a murder thinks all faces frown on him.”Jean-Paul Marat

“The mind of a murderer is like a shattered mirror—fragments of guilt and terror reflecting back endlessly.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“There is no refuge from confession but suicide; and suicide is confession.”Daniel Webster

“Murderers are not monsters, they’re men. And that’s the most frightening thing about them.”Alice Sebold

“Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion to death.”Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“Remorse sleeps during a prosperous period but wakes up in adversity.”Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend.”Agatha Christie

“The remorse of an assassin is the only thing that can match his crime.”Jean Genet

Quotes on Murder and Society

Murder is often a reflection of the dark side of society, showcasing its deepest flaws. These quotes explore the relationship between murder and the social fabric in which we live.

“The crime of murder may be committed in a moment, but its effects can haunt society for generations.”Frederick Douglass

“Murder, like any other human act, is a reflection of the society that allows it to happen.”James Baldwin

“Murder is born of powerlessness and the loss of connection to society’s values.”Alice Miller

“A society that tolerates violence against some, tolerates violence against all.”Gloria Steinem

“When a society no longer cares about human life, murder becomes just another story in the headlines.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“The murderer strikes not only at his victim but at the very heart of society.”Friedrich Nietzsche

“The true measure of a society is found in how it treats its most violent and desperate.”Mahatma Gandhi

“In the end, murder is the ultimate expression of societal breakdown, where life itself becomes cheap.”Nelson Mandela

“The legal consequences of murder may pass, but society is forever marked by its shadow.”Hannah Arendt

“A society that cannot prevent murder is a society that cannot truly protect its people.”John Locke

Quotes on Murder as a Reflection of Human Nature

Murder exposes the darker elements of human nature, bringing forth questions about morality, evil, and the capacity for violence within us all.

“Murder is a disease that exists within all men; it takes only the right conditions to bring it to the surface.”Edgar Allan Poe

“To commit murder is to reveal the deepest and most destructive impulses of the human soul.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Man is the only creature who kills for reasons other than survival.”Arthur C. Clarke

“Murder is not an anomaly of human nature, but rather its most frightening possibility.”Albert Camus

“At the heart of every murder lies the capacity for both good and evil within every human.”Victor Hugo

“There is something in human nature that makes violence an all-too-natural expression of fear and anger.”Sigmund Freud

“Murder exposes the fragility of our humanity and the terrifying strength of our basest instincts.”George Orwell

“The act of murder shows how closely man can walk the line between civilization and savagery.”William Golding

“It is not murder that shocks us, but the realization that any one of us is capable of it.”J.K. Rowling

“Murder is the ultimate reminder of the dark depths of human nature.”Stephen King

Quotes on the Tragedy of Murder

Murder is a profound tragedy that destroys lives and leaves lasting scars on individuals and society. These quotes reflect the sorrow and deep consequences of such actions.

“The true tragedy of murder is not in the act itself, but in the emptiness it leaves behind.”James Baldwin

“Murder is a crime that lingers far longer than the moment it happens. It is the tragedy of life cut short, and dreams unfulfilled.”Toni Morrison

“Every murder takes something more than life; it robs humanity of its compassion.”Elie Wiesel

“The ultimate tragedy is not the murder itself, but the silence of those who should have stopped it.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“Murder is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, one that creates a wound which can never fully heal.”Stephen King

“The tragedy of murder lies not only in the death of the victim but in the corruption of the killer’s soul.”Fyodor Dostoevsky

“The devastation caused by murder ripples through generations, leaving an enduring sense of loss and sorrow.”Maya Angelou

“Murder is the darkest tragedy, for it robs the world not just of a life, but of the possibility of what that life could have been.”Harper Lee

“Murder is the final act of despair, but the tragedy lies in the countless lives shattered by it.”Virginia Woolf

“The tragedy of murder is that it denies the victim the chance to live, to change, and to find redemption.”Oscar Wilde

Quotes on Forgiveness and Redemption After Murder

Even in the aftermath of murder, the possibility of forgiveness and redemption can offer a path toward healing. These quotes explore the challenging journey toward reconciliation and grace.

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future, even after murder.”Paul Boese

“True redemption begins when forgiveness is sought with a heart full of remorse.”Mahatma Gandhi

“The path to forgiveness after murder is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who understand that redemption comes from within.”Nelson Mandela

“Forgiveness after a great wrong, even murder, is not weakness. It is the ultimate strength.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“No soul is beyond redemption, even the one guilty of murder, if they truly seek forgiveness.”Leo Tolstoy

“The hardest part of forgiveness is realizing that it does not excuse the act of murder, but it liberates the soul of the forgiver.”Desmond Tutu

“Even in the face of murder, forgiveness is the one gift we can give to ourselves to heal.”Marianne Williamson

“Redemption is possible, even for the darkest of sins, but only when forgiveness is met with sincere regret.”Elie Wiesel

“Forgiveness after murder is not about letting go of justice; it is about letting go of hate.”Pope Francis

“Redemption starts with the recognition that, even after murder, the human soul can seek and find forgiveness.”Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Final Thoughts

Quotes on murder remind you of the deep tragedy and irreversible effects of violence.

They challenge you to consider the ethical implications of such acts and reflect on the broader consequence they have on people and society.

Whether exploring themes of justice, remorse, or forgiveness, these quotes urge you to confront the intricacies of human behavior and the delicate nature of life.