Previous
Santino “Sonny” Corleone
Michael is Don Vito Corleone’s third-youngest child who becomes the new Don of the Corleone Crime Family after his father’s retirement and subsequent passing. Unlike the hotheaded Sonny and the passive Fredo, Michael shares his father’s cunning, even-temperedness, and quiet ruthlessness, all of which make him the ideal candidate to succeed Vito as Don. At the beginning of the novel, Puzo introduces Michael as the one Corleone son who does not wish to join the Family business. Michael attends Dartmouth College and, in 1941, he enlists in the army following America’s entry in World War II. Although he earns medals for bravery in combat, Michael’s military service angers Vito, who believes that family loyalty supersedes patriotism. Michael also dates the non-Italian teaching student, Kay Adams, further demonstrating his willingness to break from family tradition. Yet Puzo uses Michael to highlight the Mafia’s suction-like power to absorb even those who wish to escape its all-consuming influence. Sollozzo’s attempted murder of Don Vito thrusts Michael into the position of his father’s protector. His loyalty to his father leads Michael to become the “button man” (hitman) who “makes his bones” (gains membership in the Mafia) by murdering both Sollozzo and McCluskey. To escape prosecution for these murders, Michael flees to Sicily, where, under the protection of the local Mafia chieftains, he becomes thoroughly enmeshed in the world of organized crime. There, he marries a beautiful girl named Apollonia—having essentially cut Kay out of his life at this point—but Apollonia dies tragically in a car bomb explosion meant for Michael After returning to New York and marrying Kay, Michael to takes over as Don of the Family, with his father’s blessing, and successfully orchestrates the murder of the other Mafia Dons and Moe Greene, who stands in the way of the Corleones’ plan to expand into Las Vegas. Even more so than Vito, Michael represents the role destiny plays in shaping the fate of those who cast their lot with the mob.
Michael Corleone Quotes in The Godfather
The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Michael Corleone or refer to Michael Corleone. 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:
).
Chapter 9 Quotes
He was surprised to find himself so secretive with Kay. He loved her, he trusted her, but he would never tell her anything about his father or the Family. She was an outsider.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes
Merit meant nothing. Talent meant nothing. Work meant nothing. The Mafia Godfather gave you your profession as a gift.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes
“You’ll be my wife but you won’t be my partner in life, as I think they say. Not an equal partner. That can’t be.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes
“But don’t ever take sides with anybody against the Family again.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes
“Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes
He would see to it that they joined the general family of humanity, but he, as a powerful and prudent parent, would most certainly keep a wary eye on that general family.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 30 Quotes
He understood that he would be happier in the world the Corleones had created than in the world outside.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Godfather LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Michael Corleone Character Timeline in The Godfather
The timeline below shows where the character Michael Corleone appears in The Godfather. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...but lacks the charisma “so necessary for a leader of men.” The Don’s youngest son, Michael Corleone, sits further away at a table with his non-Italian girlfriend, Kay Adams, whom he...
(full context)
The wedding guests notice that Don Corleone pays little attention to Michael. Before the outbreak of World War II, Michael was the Don’s favorite son. Michael, however,...
(full context)
Michael sits with Kay, whose attention turns to a group of men gathered around a barrel...
(full context)
Luca Brasi’s fierce reputation always precedes him. Michael Tells Kay, much to her shock,) that Brasi once single-handedly killed six men who threatened...
(full context)
...old Consigliere, Genco Abbandando, who is dying of cancer. Before he leaves for the hospital, Michael tells Kay about the time his father and Luca Brasi threatened to kill a bandleader...
(full context)
Chapter 2
...role in Woltz’s new movie and vows to get his Godfather a lavish Christmas gift. Michael also calls to tell Hagen that he and Kay will meet the Don at his...
(full context)
Michael calls Sonny at the mall and learns that Don Corleone’s assassins shot him five times...
(full context)
...send guards to the hospital and to the mall. He also tells Tessio to bring Michael back to the mall for his own safety. Sonny also wonder what happened to Luca...
(full context)
Chapter 4
Michael Corleone arrives at the mall. Clemenza greets him and tells him that the Don is...
(full context)
Chapter 8
...with Sollozzo, and Fredo is still in a state of shock over his father’s near-assassination. Michael and Kay try to restore normalcy by planning a date, while the radio news announces...
(full context)
As Michael, Hagen, Sonny, Tessio, and Clemenza sit down to eat spaghetti, they hear a noise in...
(full context)
Chapter 9
That night, Michael meets Kay in the city, but he is preoccupied thinking about Sonny and his strategy...
(full context)
Michael arrives at the hospital around 10:30 p.m. and is surprised to find the street and...
(full context)
Once Michael moves his father to a room at the end of the hall, the Don smiles...
(full context)
Chapter 10
Having moved Don Corleone to a different hospital room, Michael steps outside to wait for Sonny’s reinforcements. Suddenly, Enzo, the baker’s helper emerges from the...
(full context)
Michael suspects that Sollozzo was in the first car that drove by, and that McCluskey is...
(full context)
As Michael reels from McCluskey’s attack, Sonny’s men arrive with a lawyer to guard Don Corleone. The...
(full context)
Later that morning, Sonny, Hagen, Michael, Tessio, and Clemenza discuss whether to meet Sollozzo. The Turk refuses to negotiate with the...
(full context)
...“even the old man’s political protection would run for cover.” Sonny decides to wait, but Michael suggests that Sollozzo will not stop until Don Corleone is dead. “You have to get...
(full context)
Michael believes that “there are times when the most extreme measures are justified,” and lays out...
(full context)
Michael adds that the Corleone Family’s newspaper connections will appreciate printing a story about a corrupt...
(full context)
Chapter 11
Tom Hagen arranges the necessary documents for Michael to flee the country, including a false passport, a seaman’s card, and passage on a...
(full context)
Sonny finally learns that the meeting between Michael, Sollozzo, and McCluskey will happen at Luna Azure restaurant in the Bronx. Tessio knows the...
(full context)
Michael waits outside of a restaurant on Broadway for Sollozzo’s car to arrive. When it does,...
(full context)
McCluskey, Sollozzo, and Michael begin their meeting in the restaurant. The Turk and Michael converse in Italian. Michael demands...
(full context)
After conversing for a few more minutes, Michael rises from his chair and shoots both McCluskey and Sollozzo in the head. Michael then...
(full context)
Chapter 15
...Detective Siriani from the New York police department. They enter and begin questioning Kay about Michael Corleone and his possible connection to the murders of Sollozzo and McCluskey. Kay’s father, Mr....
(full context)
The detectives lay out the circumstantial evidence that ties Michael to the murders, including his argument with Captain McCluskey outside of the hospital and several...
(full context)
...visits the Corleone mall in Long Beach. There, she meets Tom Hagen and inquires about Michael’s whereabouts. “We know he’s all right but we don’t know where he is right now,”...
(full context)
Kay asks him to deliver a letter to Michael, but Tom refuses, claiming that doing so would implicate him as having knowledge of Michael’s...
(full context)
Chapter 17
After informing Don Corleone about Michael and the murders of Sollozzo and McCluskey, Hagen and Sonny exit Don Corleone’s bedroom to...
(full context)
Chapter 20
...warring Mafia families.” They specialize in hostage swapping to ensure protection for mob representatives. When Michael Corleone, for example, met with Sollozzo and McCluskey, the Corleone Family held a Bocchicchio Family...
(full context)
...children and our grandchildren.” However, he warns that if the other Families kill his son Michael, this transgression will force him to break the newly established peace. “If some unlucky accident...
(full context)
...Don. The men discuss the newly made peace and Don Corleone makes clear that bringing Michael home safely should be the Family’s top priority. He is more concerned about the police...
(full context)
...he should explore every possible legal avenue and spend as much as needed to bring Michael home from Sicily safely. The Don suspects that Barzini knows Michael is there and will...
(full context)
Chapter 21
A year passes before Michael is able to return to New York. The scheme to bring him back involves a...
(full context)
...if Felix (who is doomed anyways) confesses to the murders of Sollozzo and McCluskey, thereby-exonerating Michael, the Corleone Family will provide for Felix’s family for the remainder of their lives. The...
(full context)
Chapter 23
The narrative flashes back in time. It has been five months since Michael Corleone fled to Sicily. Being in Sicily helps Michael understand why his family became Mafia...
(full context)
...government in Rome. Dr. Taza is fond of both books and prostitutes, and he entertains Michael with stories of the Mafia’s past exploits. Michael learns that the word “Mafia” originally meant...
(full context)
...placing its own taxes on every form of business endeavor no matter how small.” Ironically, Michael learns that men like his father turned to crime as the only way to escape...
(full context)
Michael’s facial bones never properly healed after McCluskey’s attack, leaving his left cheek misshapen. Dr. Taza...
(full context)
Michael is protected by two shepherd bodyguards armed with lupera shotguns. He passes time by reading,...
(full context)
...country is “a land of gushing plenty, carpeted with flowers scented by lemon blossoms.” As Michael walks and observes the beauty, his injured face distracts him. The improperly healed bone is...
(full context)
One of the girls is so beautiful and catches Michael’s eye so forcefully that Fabrizzio claims he has been “hit by the thunderbolt.” The girl’s...
(full context)
Fabrizzio and Calo take Michael to the girl’s village in order to speak with her. They stop to rest at...
(full context)
Michael brings the café owner out to the porch and apologizes to him for disrespecting his...
(full context)
Although Michael denies being a member of the Mafia, the café owner surmises otherwise. He identifies himself...
(full context)
Dr. Taza gives Michael a drug to stop the mucus from running from his nose. On Sunday, Michael visits...
(full context)
Over the next few weeks, Michael and Apollonia court. Michael brings her gifts each day and she becomes less shy. With...
(full context)
Living with Apollonia instills in Michael a new appreciation for virginity, which gives him “a sensuality mixed with a feeling of...
(full context)
One evening, an old Sicilian woman named Filomena visits Michael and asks if he is Don Corleone’s son. She says that the Don once saved...
(full context)
...recruited Brasi to prevent him from going after Filomena. The morning after hearing this story, Michael learns that Sonny is dead.
(full context)
Chapter 24
Michael awakens in bed next to Apollonia. It is the last morning they are to spend...
(full context)
Michael peers out of the kitchen to see Apollonia in the car. She is waving at...
(full context)
The explosion that was clearly meant for Michael knocks him unconscious, and he awakens after nearly a week. Fabrizzio has disappeared. Dr. Taza...
(full context)
Chapter 25
...college and now works as a grade-school teacher in New Hampshire. For six months after Michael vanished, she calls his mother to inquire about him, but stops calling after doing so...
(full context)
Kay speaks to Mama Corleone, who informs her that Michael has been home for six months. Kay is shocked. “You wanta see Mikey, you come...
(full context)
When Michael arrives, Kay notices the “broken half of his face” before she uncontrollably jumps into his...
(full context)
Kay tells Michael that she never really believed that he killed those men. “It doesn’t matter whether I...
(full context)
They make love again, and afterwards, Michael again asks Kay about marriage. “I’m working for my father now,” he says, “I won’t...
(full context)
Kay continues to press Michael on why he will not say that he loves her, and why she would be...
(full context)
Chapter 26
Johnny tells them that Michael Corleone and Tom Hagen are arriving in Las Vegas. Lucy says she and Jules are...
(full context)
Chapter 27
Michael Corleone arrives in Las Vegas with his new bodyguard, Albert Neri, and Tom Hagen. That...
(full context)
Michael requests that Johnny sign a contract to appear at the hotel five times per year...
(full context)
Moe Green unexpectedly arrives and requests to talk to Michael. Greene buys the group a round of playing chips and demands to know why the...
(full context)
Michael coldly accuse Moe of “slap[ping] [Fredo] around in public.” Fredo sticks up for Moe, claiming...
(full context)
The next morning, Fredo tells Michael that Moe will not give up his casino, to which Michael shrugs. They visit Fontane...
(full context)
Chapter 28
Michael flies back to New York and prepares to execute a plan that has been two...
(full context)
Kay is still uncertain how Michael feels about Connie’s husband, Carlo. Although Michael told her about Carlo’s indirect role in Sonny’s...
(full context)
After he arrives home from Las Vegas, Michael holds an evening meeting with Don Corleone, Tom Hagen, Carlo, Clemenza, and Tessio. Since the...
(full context)
Michael reveals that the Family will sell all of its eastern assets so it can move...
(full context)
Michael adjourns the meeting and shares a drink with Hagen and Don Corleone. Tom wants to...
(full context)
After Hagen leaves the meeting, Michael tells Don Corleone that his coming plan will serve as both vengeance for Apollonia and...
(full context)
...home to New York after a vacation in the Caribbean by way of Las Vegas. Michael greets him with compliments and a lucrative new bookmaking operation.
(full context)
Chapter 29
...moves among the plants spraying invading ants with his bug sprayer as his young grandson, Michael’s child, draws near. The Don waves his hand to warn the boy away, and then...
(full context)
...the Don’s body for its final rest, and in this, he performs his finest work. Michael spends most to the day meeting mourners and discussing plans with his inner circle. He...
(full context)
The morning after Don Corleone’s funeral, Michael tells the caporegimes that his plan for moving forward remains unaltered. Clemenza warns him that...
(full context)
Michael then tells Hagen that Don Corleone warned before his death that an inside traitor will...
(full context)
Michael reasons that Tessio’s plan makes sense: by setting up the hit, Tessio stands to inherit...
(full context)
Chapter 30
...apartment dressing in his police officer’s uniform to prepare for an important job. Before becoming Michael Corleone’s bodyguard, Neri was among the most feared police officers in New York City. He...
(full context)
...sentence suspended. Disenchanted with legitimate society’s laws, Neri agreed to meet with Don Vito and Michael Corleone. He understood that “the Corleone Family approved that act of his which society condemned...
(full context)
...Don Corleone believed that Neri could be a new “Luca Brasi” for the Family. Once, Michael asked his father why he used an “animal” like Luca Brasi. “There are men in...
(full context)
...present, and dressed in his police uniform, Al Neri prepares to do battle for Don Michael Corleone.
(full context)
Chapter 31
...a plane to Las Vegas for a vacation while Carlo remains in New York per Michael’s request that he stay at Long Beach for a few days before joining his family...
(full context)
...Rockefeller Center, where Neri approaches Don Barzini and his bodyguards en route to meet with Michael Corleone and shoots Barzini in the chest, killing him.
(full context)
Tessio is waiting for Michael to arrive while sipping coffee in the Corleone family’s kitchen. He tells Hagen that he...
(full context)
...sits nervously waiting in a house at the mall where he is to meet with Michael. He calls his mistress to tell her he is going to be late for their...
(full context)
When Michael asks which of the other Dons approached Carlo to betray Sonny, Carlos says it was...
(full context)
Meanwhile, Connie returns to Long Beach from Las Vegas and angrily confronts Michael about Carlo’s death. “You lousy bastard,” she screams, “You killed my husband […] you blamed...
(full context)
A shocked Kay asks Michael if what Connie says is true. “Just believe me, this one time I’m letting you...
(full context)
Chapter 32
After a year of “delicate maneuvering” following Michael’s perfectly executed execution of his enemies, the Corleone Family’s former power is restored. He sells...
(full context)
Kay enjoys the dry Las Vegas climate and Michael buys a legitimate construction business as a front for his criminal activity. Kay and Michael...
(full context)
Kay told Tom straight out that she ran away because Michael lied to her about killing Carlo. Tom asked her to consider a possible justification for...
(full context)
“He warned you never to ask about business,” Tom says of Michael. He told Kay of Tessio’s betrayal; that Tessio died just as Carlo died “because treachery...
(full context)
...about, except for her husband, and she prays “the necessary prayers for the soul of Michael Corleone.”
(full context)
