V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta

by

Alan Moore

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on V for Vendetta makes teaching easy.
V is by far the most notable character in V for Vendetta: he has the greatest amount of dialogue, he is the subject of the most attention from the other characters, his name is in the title, etc. Yet in spite of all this, V is also the most ambiguous character in the graphic novel. We don’t know how old V is, we don’t know who his family was, we don’t know his sexual orientation, we don’t know what his face looks like (he wears a Guy Fawkes mask at all times), and we don’t even know to a certainty if he’s a man or a woman (for the purposes of this summary, we’ll consider him a man). Based on the evidence we’re presented with, it seems that V was a “subversive” who was arrested during the early days of the Norsefire regime and sent to a concentration camp. There, he was injected with drugs and hormones that made him smarter, made him stronger, and made him forget his own past. Since breaking out of his prison, V has used terrorism to oppose the Norsefire regime, killing his former jailers and orchestrating an elaborate assault on its institutions. V is an anarchist who believes that violence and destruction are necessary in order to establish a new world order in which people consent to live with each other in peace, rather than submitting to the tyranny of a government.

V Quotes in V for Vendetta

The V for Vendetta quotes below are all either spoken by V or refer to V. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Freedom and Anarchy Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

Remember, remember the fifth of November, the Gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 14
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 2 Quotes

They eradicated some cultures more thoroughly than they did others. No Tamla and no Trojan. No Billie Holliday or Black Uhuru. Just his master’s voice every hour on the hour.

Related Characters: V (speaker), The Leader / Adam Susan, Lewis Prothero
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 3 Quotes

They got things under control. But then they started taking people away … all the black people and the Pakistanis. White people, too. All the radicals and the men who, you know, liked other men. The homosexuals. I don’t know what they did with them all.

Related Characters: Evey Hammond (speaker), V
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 5 Quotes

Her name is anarchy! And she has taught me more as a mistress than you ever did! She has taught me that justice is meaningless without freedom. She is honest. She makes no promises and breaks none.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Related Symbols: Lady Justice
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 11 Quotes

You see, there are two possible motives here. Not one. The first motive is revenge. He escapes from Larkhill and vows to get even with his tormentors. The Parliament bombing and the other stuff is just a smokescreen. The whole exercise was an elaborate, chilling vendetta. That’s the explanation that I find the most reassuring, funnily enough. Because that means he’s finished now. That means it’s over. The second motive is more sinister. Like I said, everyone who could have identified him is now dead. What if he’s just been clearing ground? What if he’s been planning something else?

Related Characters: Mr. Eric Finch (speaker), V, The Leader / Adam Susan
Page Number: 85
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

“Perhaps you don’t sort of fancy women. But, like, there’s nothing wrong with that. Or perhaps…”
“Or perhaps I’m your father?”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 4 Quotes

It’s your basic unwillingness to get on within the company. You don’t seem to want to face up to real responsibility, or to be your own boss. Lord knows, you’ve been given plenty of opportunities. We’ve offered you promotion time and time again, and each time you’ve turned us down.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 114
Explanation and Analysis:

I understand that you are unable to get on with your spouse. I hear that you argue. I am told that you shout. Violence has been mentioned.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:

We’ve had a string of embezzlers, frauds, liars and lunatics making a string of catastrophic decisions. This is plain fact. But who elected them?

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 12 Quotes

“Sign that statement. You could be out inside three years. Perhaps they’d find you a job with the Finger. A lot of your sort get work with the Finger.”
“Thank you… but I’d rather die behind the chemical sheds.”
“Then there’s nothing left to threaten with, is there? You are free.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Related Symbols: Valerie’s Letter
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 13 Quotes

“You say you want to set me free and you put me in a prison.”
“You were already in a prison. You’ve been in a prison all your life.”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it! I wasn’t in a prison! I was happy! I was happy until you threw me out.”
“Happiness is a prison, Evey. Happiness is the most insidious prison of all.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 14 Quotes

“Thank you. Thank you for what you’ve done to me.”
“You did it all yourself. I simply provided the backdrop. The drama was all your own.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 1 Quotes

Noise is relative to the silence proceeding it. The more absolute the hush, the more shocking the thunderclap. Our masters have not heard the people’s voice for generations, Evey. And it is much, much louder than they care to remember.

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 4 Quotes

Because if I’m going to crack this case, and I am, I’m going to have to get right inside his head, to think the way he thinks, and that scares me.

Related Characters: Mr. Eric Finch (speaker), V
Page Number: 210
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

“Did you think to kill me? There’s no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There’s only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Mr. Eric Finch
Related Symbols: Guy Fawkes Mask, “V” symbol
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 9 Quotes

Because you were so big, V, and what if you’re just nobody? Or even if you’re someone, you’ll be smaller, because of all the people that you could have been, but weren’t.

Related Characters: Evey Hammond (speaker), V
Related Symbols: Guy Fawkes Mask, “V” symbol
Page Number: 250
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire V for Vendetta LitChart as a printable PDF.
V for Vendetta PDF

V Quotes in V for Vendetta

The V for Vendetta quotes below are all either spoken by V or refer to V. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Freedom and Anarchy Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

Remember, remember the fifth of November, the Gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 14
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 2 Quotes

They eradicated some cultures more thoroughly than they did others. No Tamla and no Trojan. No Billie Holliday or Black Uhuru. Just his master’s voice every hour on the hour.

Related Characters: V (speaker), The Leader / Adam Susan, Lewis Prothero
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 3 Quotes

They got things under control. But then they started taking people away … all the black people and the Pakistanis. White people, too. All the radicals and the men who, you know, liked other men. The homosexuals. I don’t know what they did with them all.

Related Characters: Evey Hammond (speaker), V
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 5 Quotes

Her name is anarchy! And she has taught me more as a mistress than you ever did! She has taught me that justice is meaningless without freedom. She is honest. She makes no promises and breaks none.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Related Symbols: Lady Justice
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 11 Quotes

You see, there are two possible motives here. Not one. The first motive is revenge. He escapes from Larkhill and vows to get even with his tormentors. The Parliament bombing and the other stuff is just a smokescreen. The whole exercise was an elaborate, chilling vendetta. That’s the explanation that I find the most reassuring, funnily enough. Because that means he’s finished now. That means it’s over. The second motive is more sinister. Like I said, everyone who could have identified him is now dead. What if he’s just been clearing ground? What if he’s been planning something else?

Related Characters: Mr. Eric Finch (speaker), V, The Leader / Adam Susan
Page Number: 85
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

“Perhaps you don’t sort of fancy women. But, like, there’s nothing wrong with that. Or perhaps…”
“Or perhaps I’m your father?”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 4 Quotes

It’s your basic unwillingness to get on within the company. You don’t seem to want to face up to real responsibility, or to be your own boss. Lord knows, you’ve been given plenty of opportunities. We’ve offered you promotion time and time again, and each time you’ve turned us down.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 114
Explanation and Analysis:

I understand that you are unable to get on with your spouse. I hear that you argue. I am told that you shout. Violence has been mentioned.

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:

We’ve had a string of embezzlers, frauds, liars and lunatics making a string of catastrophic decisions. This is plain fact. But who elected them?

Related Characters: V (speaker)
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 12 Quotes

“Sign that statement. You could be out inside three years. Perhaps they’d find you a job with the Finger. A lot of your sort get work with the Finger.”
“Thank you… but I’d rather die behind the chemical sheds.”
“Then there’s nothing left to threaten with, is there? You are free.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Related Symbols: Valerie’s Letter
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 13 Quotes

“You say you want to set me free and you put me in a prison.”
“You were already in a prison. You’ve been in a prison all your life.”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it! I wasn’t in a prison! I was happy! I was happy until you threw me out.”
“Happiness is a prison, Evey. Happiness is the most insidious prison of all.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 14 Quotes

“Thank you. Thank you for what you’ve done to me.”
“You did it all yourself. I simply provided the backdrop. The drama was all your own.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond (speaker)
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 1 Quotes

Noise is relative to the silence proceeding it. The more absolute the hush, the more shocking the thunderclap. Our masters have not heard the people’s voice for generations, Evey. And it is much, much louder than they care to remember.

Related Characters: V (speaker), Evey Hammond
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 4 Quotes

Because if I’m going to crack this case, and I am, I’m going to have to get right inside his head, to think the way he thinks, and that scares me.

Related Characters: Mr. Eric Finch (speaker), V
Page Number: 210
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

“Did you think to kill me? There’s no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There’s only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof.”

Related Characters: V (speaker), Mr. Eric Finch
Related Symbols: Guy Fawkes Mask, “V” symbol
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 9 Quotes

Because you were so big, V, and what if you’re just nobody? Or even if you’re someone, you’ll be smaller, because of all the people that you could have been, but weren’t.

Related Characters: Evey Hammond (speaker), V
Related Symbols: Guy Fawkes Mask, “V” symbol
Page Number: 250
Explanation and Analysis: