Moby-Dick by Herman Melville is a treasure trove of philosophical depth, unforgettable characters, and haunting truths about obsession, fate, and the sea. Whether you’re studying the book, quoting it for inspiration, or seeking insights on revenge and humanity, this collection of Moby-Dick quotes will guide you. From Ishmael’s musings to Captain Ahab’s fiery words, each quote is carefully selected to bring Melville’s masterpiece to life. Get ready to explore page numbers, popular picks, Goodreads favorites, and character-driven lines—all in one place.
📖 Moby-Dick Quotes with Page Numbers
- 📄 Call me Ishmael – Page 1
- 📄 From hell’s heart I stab at thee – Page 548
- 📄 I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing – Page 120
- 📄 Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian – Page 57
- 📄 It is not down in any map; true places never are – Page 73
- 📄 There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness – Page 407
- 📄 The sea had jeeringly kept his finite body up, but drowned the infinite of his soul – Page 615
- 📄 A whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard – Page 126
- 📄 He tasks me; he heaps me – Page 542
- 📄 I try all things, I achieve what I can – Page 311
- 📄 Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me – Page 144
- 📄 For all men tragically great are made so through a certain morbidness – Page 176
- 📄 The world’s a ship on its passage out, and not a voyage complete – Page 93
- 📄 A draught of brandy, now, wouldn’t be amiss – Page 48
- 📄 The ineffable truth was in the man, but his meaning was a blank to most – Page 520
🌊 Moby-Dick Quotes Goodreads
- 📘 Call me Ishmael
- 📘 From hell’s heart I stab at thee
- 📘 Talk not to me of blasphemy, man
- 📘 It is not down in any map; true places never are
- 📘 I know not all that may be coming, but I’ll go to it laughing
- 📘 A whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard
- 📘 Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian
- 📘 The sea had drowned the infinite of his soul
- 📘 The world’s a ship on its passage out
- 📘 The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails
- 📘 There is a wisdom that is woe
- 📘 What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it
- 📘 The living heaven you never touch
- 📘 The pale Usher – threadbare in coat
- 📘 All men live enveloped in whale-lines
👤 Ishmael Quotes Moby-Dick
- 🌬️ Call me Ishmael
- 🌬️ Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth
- 🌬️ I account it high time to get to sea
- 🌬️ The sea is my substitute for pistol and ball
- 🌬️ I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote
- 🌬️ A whale ship was my Yale College
- 🌬️ I felt a melting in me
- 🌬️ Queequeg was a man from whom I had much to learn
- 🌬️ I quietly take to the ship
- 🌬️ There is nothing surprising in this
- 🌬️ I find myself drawn to wild waters
- 🌬️ The truest friend in the voyage was Queequeg
- 🌬️ The sea had a universal wholeness
- 🌬️ I could not withstand the call of the ocean
- 🌬️ I saw the whole universe in the waves
⚓ Captain Ahab Quotes
- 🔥 From hell’s heart I stab at thee
- 🔥 He tasks me; he heaps me
- 🔥 Talk not to me of blasphemy, man
- 🔥 I’d strike the sun if it insulted me
- 🔥 The path to my fixed purpose is laid
- 🔥 That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate
- 🔥 All my means are sane; my motive and object mad
- 🔥 Let me alone
- 🔥 Is Ahab Ahab?
- 🔥 Thou damned whale
- 🔥 The white whale swam before him
- 🔥 Madness maddened
- 🔥 I am madness maddened
- 🔥 The ship and crew are mine
- 🔥 The end draws near
First Line of Moby Dick
Call me Ishmael – this iconic opening line instantly captures curiosity.
A simple phrase that introduces mystery and identity.
The brevity makes it one of literature’s most memorable starts.
It reflects Herman Melville’s mastery of storytelling.
The line sets the tone for a grand oceanic journey.
It has become a cultural reference far beyond the novel.
Readers feel immediately addressed, drawn into the narrative.
The anonymity of “Ishmael” sparks timeless intrigue.
Its conversational style feels both intimate and bold.
A perfect blend of simplicity and literary weight.
The phrase symbolizes adventure, fate, and self-reflection.
It remains one of the greatest hooks in literature.
🐋 Whale Quotes
- 🌊 The White Whale swam before him
- 🌊 Moby Dick seemed combinedly possessed
- 🌊 The whale is a wall
- 🌊 A living Leviathan
- 🌊 There she blows!
- 🌊 He rises like a mountain
- 🌊 The whale is a vast, pulpy mass
- 🌊 The sperm whale’s brow is massive
- 🌊 The right whale’s head is different
- 🌊 The white whale was the soul of Ahab’s obsession
- 🌊 They chase the whale through all oceans
- 🌊 The ocean yields its beast
- 🌊 A floating ghost in the sea
- 🌊 The harpoon glints
- 🌊 The whale vanishes into the abyss
Famous Quotes from Moby Dick
Call me Ishmael 🌊
From hell’s heart I stab at thee 🗡️
Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian 🍷
Ignorance is the parent of fear 😨
I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing 😅
To the last I grapple with thee 🤝
It is not down in any map; true places never are 🗺️
A whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard 🎓
I try all things; I achieve what I can 💪
There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness 🌀
For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men 🐋
In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without a passport 🚢
💢 Ahab Quotes About Revenge
- ⚔️ From hell’s heart I stab at thee
- ⚔️ I’d strike the sun if it insulted me
- ⚔️ That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate
- ⚔️ He tasks me; he heaps me
- ⚔️ My vengeance will be immortal
- ⚔️ All my means are sane
- ⚔️ I’m consumed by rage
- ⚔️ Madness made into purpose
- ⚔️ The whale is my fate
- ⚔️ Let nothing turn me back
- ⚔️ The sea is the battlefield
- ⚔️ I will have no mercy
- ⚔️ My hate is righteous
- ⚔️ Vengeance is my compass
- ⚔️ Death is only an end to cowardice
😄 I Know Not All That May Be Coming, But Be It What It Will, I’ll Go To It Laughing
- 😄 I know not all that may be coming
- 😄 Be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing
- 😄 Courage makes light of mystery
- 😄 Facing fate with a grin
- 😄 I accept what the sea offers
- 😄 I fear not destiny
- 😄 Laughter is my shield
- 😄 The unknown shall not undo me
- 😄 What comes will come, I’ll meet it with joy
- 😄 I laugh at the storm
- 😄 I go boldly into the void
- 😄 Life is the voyage, not the harbor
- 😄 I sail into risk
- 😄 The future is uncertain, but I am not
- 😄 I laugh not from ignorance, but defiance
📝 Moby-Dick Caption
- ✒️ Obsession has a name—Moby Dick
- ✒️ One whale, one man, one fate
- ✒️ Call me haunted
- ✒️ Ahab’s madness sails with us
- ✒️ Into the sea of purpose and revenge
- ✒️ Leviathan looms
- ✒️ White whale, dark heart
- ✒️ Ocean deep, meaning deeper
- ✒️ Lost in the whale’s shadow
- ✒️ Between harpoon and hope
- ✒️ The soul swims where reason sinks
- ✒️ Sea storms and soul storms
- ✒️ The chase that ended the chaser
- ✒️ Melville’s masterpiece lives on
- ✒️ Moby Dick: A name, a myth, a reckoning
🧭 Conclusion
Moby-Dick is not just a tale of a whale—it’s a deep, dark exploration of obsession, revenge, and the human spirit. These quotes remind us of the timeless depth of Melville’s writing. Whether you’re quoting Ishmael’s wisdom or Ahab’s fury, each line carries meaning far beyond the page. Let these powerful words guide your literary journey across the vast sea of thought.
