Fahrenheit 451 Double Fool

“Who are a little wise the best fools be” pg 107

The origin is a poem called “The Triple Fool written by John Donne. The overall subject of the poem was that the author thought he was a fool for falling in love with a woman and then writing a poem about her. This symbolizes love, in Fahrenheit 451, because Montag is a fool for falling for Mildred because she doesn't show him the love he deserves. This impacts the conversation because Beatty thinks Montag is a fool for reading books.

“Sweet food of sweetly uttered revenge” pg 108

This quote is found in a poetic theory titled “The Defence of Poesy” by Sir Philip Sidney. The writing is also know as “An Apologie for Poetrie”, the overall message is around poor poetry. It is important to

the novel Fahrenheit 451 because the society and government thinks that reading books will have a negative impact on society. This quote impacts the conversation because Beatty think that knowledge is sweet and not bad for the human race.

“Words are like leaves and where they most abound, Much fruit beneath is rarely found” pg 108

The origin of this quote is in a poem called “An Essay on Criticism” written by Alexander Pope. The message of this poem is that false critics are all around us and our job is to know the nature of the universe. It related to the government telling people they can’t read book and that its toxic. It impact the conversation because Beatty has a sudden change of heart that disputes his earlier thoughts about knowledge being sweet.

“A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian waters; There shallow draughts that intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again” pg 108

This quote happens again to be in the poem “An Essay on Criticism” by Alexander Pope. This poem cover a large range of advice and criticism and concerns the way writers and critics act. In Fahrenheit 451 all the government seems to care about is how equal society is. This impacts the conversation because beatty is saying Montag is a drunkard for reading books.

“Knowledge is equivalent to force!” pg 109.

This quote is found in Samuel Johnson’s apologue called “ The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia” . The apologue message is if humans are capable of achieving happiness. We see the themes of happiness and unhappiness in the novel Fahrenheit 451 when comes to Montag’s life. His job which he despises or Clarisse, who brings a smile to his face, or Mildred who doesn't show affection at all. This impacts the conversation because it is proving that with knowledge comes power. Also how the government done all it can to limit society's knowledge.

“Well Dr. Johnson also said, dear boy “He is no wise man that will quit a certain uncertainty” pg 109

The origin of this is from a book called The Idler, which is a series of 103 essays, written but Samuel Johnson. In a particular essay, Johnson describes a friend who represents wisdom. This symbolizes the theme of knowledge because Montag thinks knowledge is more important, while Beatty is telling him not to quit the life he knows. It impacts their conversation because it takes Montag more into Beatty’s point of view.

“Truth will come to light, murder will not be hid long!” (109).

The origin of this quote is from the William Shakespeare’s play, “The Merchant Of Venice”. The theme of the quote is that the truth will eventually make its way out, it relates to Montag because the truth will eventually come out about the government. It impacts the conversation because it engages beatty into the conversation more.

“Oh God, he speaks only of his horse!” (109).

This is also a line from the play “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare.

The message is saying that he is being arrogant and only thinks for himself. It relates to the theme of trust in Fahrenheit 451 because it is saying the opposite; Beatty is saying that any body can contort somebody's words and make it for their own benefit. This quote impacts the conversation because arguing himself by saying this.

“The Devil can cite scripture for his purpose” (109)

As the last two, this quote is from the play “The Merchant of Venice”. The origin is ironic because it says the devil quotes scripture, which is a religious thing to do. The message relates to the book because the quote is saying how people will use lies to persuade people to take their side. The conversation is impacted because Beatty is trying to make Montag confused by lying about how books are not acceptable.

“This age thinks better of gilded fool than of a threadbare saint in wisdom’s school!” (109).

This quote is found in the play called “Old Fortunatus” by Thomas Dekker, the quote is saying that people that have larger amount of luck are better than people with knowledge. It relates to Fahrenheit 451 because Beatty is saying that Montag relies more on looks then he does intelligence. It makes an impact because Beatty is again making a false assumption about

Montag.

“The dignity of truth is lost with much protesting” pg 109

The overall subject of the original source is that a man named Cateline was a Roman Senator that tried to overthrow the Roman Republic. Ben Jonson, the author of the play “Catline: His Conspiracy”, uses this quote to show that arguing takes away from the truth. The quote impacts the conversation because Beatty is suggesting that Montag retain his dignity by not arguing.

“Carcasses bleed at the sight of murder” pg 109

This quote is used in a the book by Robert Burton called Anatomy of Melancholy, which is about a “young couple's attraction and distraction in a contemporary world” (IMDb). The meaning of the quote is that what goes around comes around. This quote impacts the conversation because in their world they burn books like they are living things, it foreshadows what will eventually come back to Beatty.

“What, do I give you trench mouth?” pg 109

The original source of this is unknown, but it is an allusion to trench mouth, which is a disease in the mouth and throat common to soldiers in the trenches during World War I. The relevance is that the government is telling people false statements, like you shouldn’t read or books should be burned in order for people to stop reading them. In the conversion, Beatty seems to be saying that he is putting words into Montag’s mouth that are diseased.

“Knowledge is power!” pg 109

The source of this quote is from a series of essays called “Meditationes Sacrae” by Francis Bacon. The essay this quote is featured in is called The New Organon, which is about how Bacon is trying to develop a new philosophy. The significance to the conversation is that Montag uses this as a “reply” to say he has knowledge and power.

“A dwarf on a giant's shoulders sees the farthest of the two!” pg 109
There may be two sources to this quote, Anatomy of Melancholy by George Herbert, Isaac Newton and Robert Burton. But, it is also found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s essay The Friend. In the story Anatomy of Melancholy, Isaac Newton is telling his friend Robert Hooke that he is a dwarf and he gets the advantage from that. This quote is used in Fahrenheit 451 because Montag might be saying he is not very important, he can still change the world.