The Blazing World

by

Margaret Cavendish

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Blazing World makes teaching easy.

The Fish-Men Character Analysis

The fish-men are another of the Blazing World’s many hybrid races, and like the worm-men, they are natural philosophers by trade. The fish-men specialize in studying the ocean’s makeup, currents, and animal life. Because they are at home both on land and in the sea, they are key to the Empress’s military campaign in the second part of the book. For instance, they find the hidden passageway back to her native world and allow her to stand on their backs (so that she looks like a goddess who can walk on water).

The Fish-Men Quotes in The Blazing World

The The Blazing World quotes below are all either spoken by The Fish-Men or refer to The Fish-Men. 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:
Fiction, Fancy, and Utopia Theme Icon
).
Part 1 Quotes

The Duchess answered, that since she heard by her Imperial Majesty, how well and happily the world had been governed when she first came to be Empress thereof, she would advise her Majesty to introduce the same form of government again, which had been before; that is, to have but one sovereign, one religion, one law, and one language, so that all the world might be but as one united family, without divisions; nay, like God, and his blessed saints and angels: otherwise, said she, it may in time prove as unhappy, nay, as miserable a world as that is from which I came.

Related Characters: The Empress (speaker), The Duchess (speaker), The Emperor, The Bear-Men, The Fish-Men, The Worm-Men, The Ape-Men, The Satyrs
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2 Quotes

The Empress before she came in sight of the enemy, sent some of her fish- and bird-men to bring her intelligence of their fleet; and hearing of their number, their station and posture, she gave order that when it was night, her bird-men should carry in their beaks some of the mentioned fire-stones, with the tops thereof wetted; and the fish-men should carry them likewise, and hold them out of the water; for they were cut in the form of torches or candles, and being many thousands, made a terrible show; for it appeared as if all the air and sea had been of a flaming fire; and all that were upon the sea, or near it, did verily believe, the time of judgement, or the last day was come, which made them all fall down, and pray.

Related Characters: Margaret Cavendish (speaker), The Empress, The Bear-Men, The Bird-Men, The Fish-Men, The Giants
Related Symbols: Fire, Blazes, and Light
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:

The Empress appeared upon the face of the water in her imperial robes; in some part of her hair she had placed some of the star-stone, near her face, which added such a lustre and glory to it, that it caused a great admiration in all that were present, who believed her to be some celestial creature, or rather an uncreated goddess, and they all had a desire to worship her; for surely, said they, no mortal creature can have such a splendid and transcendent beauty, nor can any have so great a power as she has, to walk upon the waters, and to destroy whatever she pleases, not only whole nations, but a whole world.

Related Characters: Margaret Cavendish (speaker), The Empress, The King of ESFI, The Bird-Men, The Fish-Men
Related Symbols: Fire, Blazes, and Light
Page Number: 214-5
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Blazing World LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Blazing World PDF

The Fish-Men Quotes in The Blazing World

The The Blazing World quotes below are all either spoken by The Fish-Men or refer to The Fish-Men. 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:
Fiction, Fancy, and Utopia Theme Icon
).
Part 1 Quotes

The Duchess answered, that since she heard by her Imperial Majesty, how well and happily the world had been governed when she first came to be Empress thereof, she would advise her Majesty to introduce the same form of government again, which had been before; that is, to have but one sovereign, one religion, one law, and one language, so that all the world might be but as one united family, without divisions; nay, like God, and his blessed saints and angels: otherwise, said she, it may in time prove as unhappy, nay, as miserable a world as that is from which I came.

Related Characters: The Empress (speaker), The Duchess (speaker), The Emperor, The Bear-Men, The Fish-Men, The Worm-Men, The Ape-Men, The Satyrs
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2 Quotes

The Empress before she came in sight of the enemy, sent some of her fish- and bird-men to bring her intelligence of their fleet; and hearing of their number, their station and posture, she gave order that when it was night, her bird-men should carry in their beaks some of the mentioned fire-stones, with the tops thereof wetted; and the fish-men should carry them likewise, and hold them out of the water; for they were cut in the form of torches or candles, and being many thousands, made a terrible show; for it appeared as if all the air and sea had been of a flaming fire; and all that were upon the sea, or near it, did verily believe, the time of judgement, or the last day was come, which made them all fall down, and pray.

Related Characters: Margaret Cavendish (speaker), The Empress, The Bear-Men, The Bird-Men, The Fish-Men, The Giants
Related Symbols: Fire, Blazes, and Light
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:

The Empress appeared upon the face of the water in her imperial robes; in some part of her hair she had placed some of the star-stone, near her face, which added such a lustre and glory to it, that it caused a great admiration in all that were present, who believed her to be some celestial creature, or rather an uncreated goddess, and they all had a desire to worship her; for surely, said they, no mortal creature can have such a splendid and transcendent beauty, nor can any have so great a power as she has, to walk upon the waters, and to destroy whatever she pleases, not only whole nations, but a whole world.

Related Characters: Margaret Cavendish (speaker), The Empress, The King of ESFI, The Bird-Men, The Fish-Men
Related Symbols: Fire, Blazes, and Light
Page Number: 214-5
Explanation and Analysis: