The Handmaid's Tale
Wednesdays on HuluThe Handmaid's Tale Quotes
Moira: Thank you for speaking.
Rita: Well, Luke asked me, so I couldn’t say no.
Moira: Sure you could. Free means you’re free to say no.
Rita: Well, being here is a gift, and I thank god for it every day and for June.
Moira: Well, June’s still there, raising hell.
Rita: I keep her in my prayers.
Moira: Pray for Gilead.
Girls, this man betrayed his own country, the United States. He’s a traitor. And this man raped a child repeatedly. The punishment for these crimes is death. You were right. We’re Mayday. We don’t hide. We fight. And in this place, we all fight. Good girl, make me proud.
June
Places like this have always been about fantasy. They were built so men can act like country lords. Pretend you’re rich for a weekend. Now they’re for fantasies of a different kind.
June
June: They took out her fucking eye. They brutalized her. They brutalized all of those women. You know what they do to handmaids, don’t you? Yeah? Then show some compassion, some fucking respect.
Esther: The commander couldn’t do it.
June: Excuse me?
Esther: Couldn’t do it most of the time when we first married with the pills and the needle shot into his thing. He wanted a baby, of course.
June: What’d he do to you?
Esther: He would bring in other men, you know, guardians, eyes, even some commanders. And then they started coming more often for their turn to fuck me.
June: I’m sorry.
Esther: Wives have bad things too.
June: Yeah, I know.
June: They’re just fucking sitting ducks. Mayday should do something.
Jezebel: You really think Mayday would liberate this place? I fucking gave up on that a long time ago.
June: Hey, it isn't an army. We are Mayday. They’re people just like us.
Aunt Lydia: If you don’t cooperate, I fear things will get worse for you, Ofrobert, Ofhoward, the others. All wanted fugitives in grave danger because of you. Bring them home.
June: This isn't there home.
Aunt Lydia: Because you corrupted them. They had a life of meaning here, a life of service.
June: There’s no meaning in this place except violence. You told those girls if they followed the rules, they’d be OK. Then you sent them out to be raped and beaten and humiliated over and over and over. You failed them.
Aunt Lydia: You shut your mouth.
June: You failed them, didn’t you? You failed your precious girls. It is your fault, Aunt Lydia. Your fault, your fault, isn’t it? Listen to me. Your fault, isn’t it?
June: Alma, we are not free.
Alma: Maybe this is as free as we’re going to get. Maybe we should make the best of it.
Mark: This morning a plane left Gilead and landed at Pearson. There were nine Marthas on board.
Fred: Apostates. Gilead is well rid of them, I’m sure.
Mark: There were also 86 children.
Serena: I’m sorry, did you say 86 children?
Mark: Yes. We don’t have much more information right now. All we know is they’re here in Toronto, and that they’re safe.
Serena: Their poor families.
Mark: They’re being reunited with their families as we speak.
Fred: This will start a war.
Mark: We’re planning to everything we can to avoid that, but right now our priority is the wellbeing of the children.
Fred: Then you’ll return them home as quickly as possible.
Mark: I’d like nothing better, but there homes are gone. You destroyed them.
You’re the one I’ve been waiting for. You got those children out. He sent me dreams of you. We were killing people together. It was the most wonderful dreams. Just rest. Get better.
Esther
Commander: Handmaids, sinful whores. More trouble than they’re worth.
Aunt Lydia: Yes, sir, more misled than sinful in this case.
Commander: We appreciate your insights.
Aunt Lydia: They were led astray by a gifted and amoral liar, a Delilah. When she is hanging on the wall, justice will be done. She has eluded your soldiers for 19 days. She’s out there planning who knows what kind of atrocities to visit upon our righteous nation. Pray gentlemen. Find her and bring her to me. And a frail woman will sleep better at night.
I used to think of my body as an instrument for the accomplishment of my will. I could use it run, pick things up, make things happen. There were limits, of course, but my body was nonetheless one with me. It obeyed my commands, mostly without complaint. Not anymore. Now there’s tending to be done. There’s homemade penicillin, mold scraped off rotten fruit, an old Martha recipe. There’s comfrey and marigold oil to make the skin heal faster. Almost bikini season. I almost died when we first got here, they said. Sepsis. Janine said I was talking to Hannah. I don’t remember. Pain makes your world very small. My world has been this room. Today I venture forth. My world can’t be small, not now, because the others need me to protect them. Gilead is out there. Gilead isn't afraid. It does not hurt or sleep. It keeps coming. It keeps searching for us, and they will keep coming forever and ever and ever. No more time for me to stay in bed.
June
Esther: I’m not worried at all. You’re here. June is here. I want to hurt them so badly, Gilead, the men. What can we do?
June: It’s not safe right now. They’re looking for us, and we can’t be moving around outside the farm.
Esther: Yeah, but you’re Mayday. We do things.
June: We will.
Esther: You’re not in bed anymore, so…
June: Mrs. Keyes… God, it’s not fair. Someone your age should never need to be this brave.
Esther: I’m the mistress of this house.
June: Yes, you are, ma’am.
Esther: If you weren’t gonna fight, then why did you come here? You should have just let them catch you.
