Cruel Mercy/Quotes

"Well, damn. I was gonna just kill you, but now I think it might be more evil to let you stew on that for a while."

—Xykon, The Order of the Stick, #372

"Every breath that you take from this day, is by my mercy. Every bite that you eat, is by Harra's charity. By charity and mercy, such as you did not give, so you shall live, Dead Woman."

—Miles Vorkosigan, The Mountains of Mourning

Travis: All right, Blake, if you're man enough, kill me now.
Blake: Our quarrel is with the Federation, not with you.
Jenna: Give me the gun, then.
Blake: That would be mercy. Are you feeling particularly merciful?

—Blake's 7, "Gambit"

"You've Got To Be Kind To Be Cruel"

—Folk saying

"I quit. You hit your peak. You've burned out your power, so your chi is dropping fast...I don't see any point in fighting you anymore. I'm satisfied; your pride's been shredded. You've met someone who surpasses the supposedly unsurpassable Freeza...and he was "only" a Saiyan."

—SSJ Son Goku

"The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel"

—The Bible, Proverbs 12:10

"Is he from Heaven, or from Hell?
And does he know
That granting me my life today,
This man has killed me, even so?"

—Inspector Javert, Les Misérables, moments before jumping into the Seine.

Alp Arslan: What would you do if I were brought before you as a prisoner?
Romanos: Perhaps I'd kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople.
Alp Arslan: My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you, and set you free.

—In the aftermath of the Battle of Manzikert

Duke Onklet: Please your omnipotence, have mercy!
The King: After you scrub all the floors in Hyrule, then we can talk about mercy! Take him away!

—Zelda CD-I

"Where's the pleasure in bein' the winner if the loser ain't alive to know they've lost?"

—Granny Weatherwax, Witches Abroad

Kalus: Go ahead and finish this. I'm not afraid.
Grimian: And let you go out a hero? I think not. I'd rather you spend the rest of your life in SHAME!

—Hot Wheels Battle Force 5

"We wanted to live forever. So the Doctor made sure that we did."

—Son of Mine, Doctor Who, "The Family of Blood"

Doctor: And you know what happens now.
Master: No! (backing away) No!
Doctor: You wouldn't listen, 'cause you know what I'm going to say.
Master: No! (backs away until he's scrabbling against a wall.)
Doctor: (wraps his arms around him) I forgive you.

—Doctor Who, "Last of the Time Lords"

Doctor: No. Colonel Manton, I want you to tell your men "run away."
Colonel Manton: What?
Doctor: Those words. "Run away." I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Runaway. I want children laughing outside your door, 'cause they've found the house of Colonel Runaway. And when people come to you and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love! (composes himself)...is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name.

—Doctor Who, "A Good Man Goes To War"

Knave of Hearts: No! Kill me! Your Majesty, please kill me! I beg you, kill me!
The White Queen: But I do not owe you a kindness.

—Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Kirk: You were going to kill me, Khan! You're going to have to come here! You're going to have to come here!
Khan: I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on...hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me. As you left her. Marooned for all eternity, in the center of a dead planet. Buried alive... Buried alive...
Kirk: (screaming) KHAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNN! KHAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!

—Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Megatron: What are you waiting for Autobot? Finish me.
Optimus Prime: That would be the easy way out Megatron. (Brings out handcuffs) You don't deserve it.

—Transformers Animated

Sharkey: 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you!

—The Lord of the Rings The Scouring of the Shire

(Pauley Cracker and the other birds carry a huge boulder to drop on a wounded Claw)
Kimba: Wait Pauley, don't drop it on him!
Pauley Cracker: But Kimba, you mean you don't want us to punish the tyrant after all of the terrible things he's done to everybody?
Kimba: He's lost all of his power and for him that's the worst punishment!

—Kimba the White Lion

Niko, come on, let's go. Let him suffer... he knows what he did. He doesn't look like he enjoys life too much.

—Roman Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV

Instead, Harry would live on, just so that Draco could tell him that it had all been for Harry's own good, really, he ought to be grateful -
And with a sudden twitch of surprised pleasure, Draco realized that it actually was for Harry's own good. If Harry tried to carry out his plan of playing Dumbledore and Father for fools, he would die.
That made it perfect.

—Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis

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