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Ruthlessness |
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Ruthlessness Borgia, Cesare (1476–1507) prototype of Machiavelli’s “Prince”: intelligent and ruthlessly opportunistic. [Ital. Hist.: Plumb, 59] (12–41) Roman emperor known for terror and cruel autocracy. [Rom. Hist.: NCE, 425] (1533–1584) his reign was characterized by murder and terror. [Russ. Hist.: EB, 9: 1179–1180] captain of the Ghost; terrorizes his crew. [Am. Lit.: London The Sea Wolf in Magill I, 874] (37–68) demented Roman emperor; initiated persecutions against the Christians. [Rom. Hist.: NCE, 1909] (1758–1794) architect of the Reign of Terror (1793–1794). [Fr. Hist.: EB, 15: 907–910] family of unscrupulous climbers, horse thieves, lechers, and murderers in Faulkner novels. [Am. Lit.: Benét, 940] works his way up from obscurity to riches by ruining all his associates and relatives. [Am. Lit.: Wm. Faulkner The Hamlet in Magill II, 398, The Town in Magill III, 1074, and The Mansion in Magill IV, 591] sacrifices children, seduces a betrothed girl, and commits many other crimes to satisfy his desires. [Br. Lit.: Vathek in Magill II, 1095] How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| ? Mentioned in | ? References in classic literature | ||
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| I may safely say that Falk is absolutely true to my experience of certain straightforward characters combining a perfectly natural ruthlessness with a certain amount of moral delicacy. Everywhere they encountered only further evidence of the ruthlessness of the cruel enemy that had come during the Great Bwana's absence and laid waste his property. That was true everywhere in the world, but it was especially true in Packingtown; there seemed to be something about the work of slaughtering that tended to ruthlessness and ferocity--it was literally the fact that in the methods of the packers a hundred human lives did not balance a penny of profit. |
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