Hannibal quotes

Abigail Hobbs

Do you believe in God?

Will Graham

What I believe is closer to science fiction than anything in the Bible.

Abigail Hobbs

We all know it, but nobody ever says that G-dash-d won't do a G-dash-d-damn thing to answer anybody's prayers.

Will Graham

God can't save any of us because it's... inelegant. Elegance is more important than suffering. That's his design.

Abigail Hobbs

Are you talking about God or Hannibal?

Will Graham

Hannibal's not God. He wouldn't have any fun being God. Defying God, that's his idea of a good time. There's nothing he'd love more than to see this roof collapse mid-Mass, choirs singing... he would just love it, and he thinks God would love it, too.

What will you do when you find him, your il Mostro?

Will Graham

I'm curious about that myself.

Bedelia Du Maurier

Where will Will Graham be looking for you next?

Hannibal Lecter

Someplace I can never go: home.

Will Graham

We construct fairy tales, and we accept them. Our minds concoct all sorts of fantasies when we don't want to believe something.

I accept what Hannibal has done. I understand why he has done it.

Will Graham

Mischa doesn't explain what Hannibal is. She doesn't quantify what he does.

He does what was done to her.

Will Graham

How do you know it was your prisoner who killed Mischa?

Hannibal told me so. Why are you searching for Hannibal after he left you [points to Will's scar] with a smile?

Will Graham

I've never known myself as well as I know myself when I'm with him.

Bedelia Du Maurier

Why can't you go home, Hannibal? What happened to you there?

Hannibal Lecter

Nothing happened to me. I happened.

Bedelia Du Maurier

There is only one way you can forgive Will Graham.

Hannibal Lecter

I have to eat him.

Frederick Chilton

[to Mason Verger] Each of us who intercepted Dr. Lecter lost something. A limb here, a lung, a few feet of intestines. The dead... the dead at least have the luxury of being done with what they lost. You and I, we both still itch.

Frederick Chilton

He knew exactly how to cut you.

Will Graham

They said it was surgical.

Frederick Chilton

He wanted you to live.

Alana Bloom

I've always enjoyed the word defenestration. Now I get to use it in casual conversation.

Will Graham

I'm visiting old friends.

Alana Bloom

You're not tempted to forget?

Will Graham

I don't wanna forget. I'm building rooms in my memory palace for all my friends.

Alana Bloom

Friendship with Hannibal is blackmail, elevated to the level of love.

Will Graham

A mutually unspoken pact to ignore the worst in one another in order to continue enjoying the best.

Alana Bloom

After everything he's done, can you still ignore the worst in him?

You know, I thank God for what happened. It was my salvation. Have you accepted Jesus, Dr. Bloom? Do you have faith?

Alana Bloom

I was raised in a religious atmosphere, Mr. Verger, but whatever that left me with, it's not religion.

It left me with more. You see, I'm free now. I'm right with the Risen Jesus, and it's all okay now. And nobody beats the Riz. [winks] He will rise me up and smite mine enemies, and I will hear the lamentations of their women. That was once you, I'm told. Dr. Lecter got deeper inside you than he did any of us.

Cordell, I have known you to be absolutely reliable and capable of almost anything, is that true?

Cordell Doemling

It is not untrue.

I pay you a large salary to be responsible for my care and feeding.

Cordell Doemling

And all that that entails.

[chuckles] "And all that that entails." I would like you to begin arrangements for Dr. Hannibal Lecter to be eaten alive.

Cordell Doemling

Do you have a preference for how you would like him prepared?

Oh, Cordell. If I had lips, I'd smile.

[to Alana about Hannibal] He likes music, he likes wine, he likes food, and he likes you. How do you taste, Dr. Bloom? Sweet, I bet. I bet you got a taste of him, too. Spitters are quitters, and you don't strike me as a quitter.

Hannibal Lecter

It's hard to see, but here's where the Archbishop bit him. Eyes wild as he choked, the Archbishop sank his teeth into Pazzi's flesh. On a related subject, I've been giving very serious thought to doing the same. [attacks Pazzi]

Hannibal Lecter

Pronto.

Alana Bloom

Inspector Pazzi, my name is Alana Bloom. You don't know me, but I know your benefactor.

Hannibal Lecter

Hello, Alana. I'm afraid the inspector is rather preoccupied at the moment.

Is he dead?

Hannibal Lecter

There's nothing I'd like more than to chat with you, Alana, but I'm afraid you caught me at a rather awkward moment. Nice to hear your voice. [hangs up] So, Commendatore, what do you think, bowels in or bowels out? Out, I think. [disembowels Pazzi]