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Literary notes about pity (AI summary)

In literature, “pity” emerges as a multifaceted term that reflects a spectrum of human emotion—from compassion and empathetic sorrow to moral judgment and self-reflection. In sacred texts such as those found in [1] and [2], pity is often linked with divine mercy or righteous condemnation, while in philosophical treatises, it becomes a means of exploring inner conflict and societal decay, as seen in [3] and [4]. Shakespeare, for instance, deploys the word with nuanced irony to capture both deep empathy and the reproach of societal failings ([5], [6], [7]). Romantic and realist narratives further employ “pity” to evoke sympathy for personal misfortune or to critique hypocritical social attitudes, as evidenced by passages in [8], [9], and other works. In this way, “pity” functions as a literary device that encapsulates the complexity of compassion and the often ambivalent response it inspires in both individuals and communities.
  1. He had not pity on them, destroying the whole nation that extolled themselves in their sins.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  2. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for thou art a merciful God, and have pity on us: for we have sinned before thee.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  3. This is my "pity"; despite the fact that no sufferer yet exists with whom I sympathise in this way.
    — from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche
  4. Schopenhauer was right in this respect: by means of pity, life is denied and made more worthy of denial, —pity is the praxis of Nihilism.
    — from The Twilight of the Idols; or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer. The Antichrist by Nietzsche
  5. Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  6. Of honourable reckoning are you both, And pity 'tis you liv'd at odds so long.
    — from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  7. Villain, thou knowest nor law of God nor man: No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  8. “Still, one must have pity on a young man in misfortune.
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  9. But, thank God, he must have been moved to pity, looking at me.
    — from Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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