Dune

Dune

by

Frank Herbert

Lady Jessica is Duke Leto’s concubine, Paul’s mother, and a member of the mysterious Bene Gesserit order—a powerful, all-female organization whose secret mission is to progress a genetic breeding program that will bring about their messiah. Bene Gesserit members are also accomplished in their heightened mental and physical capabilities. Jessica takes great pride in her son, Paul, helping him to develop his naturally advanced cognitive abilities by secretly training him in the Bene Gesserit way. This is no small act, as Bene Gesserit are forbidden to teach their practices to those outside the organization and especially to men. However, Jessica is a rebellious Bene Gesserit sister, as she also broke her superior’s direct orders by choosing to bear the Duke a son rather than a daughter. However, overall she is committed to the sisterhood’s collective goals to manipulate galactic events for increased power while also trying to genetically create the godlike Kwisatz Haderach. Jessica therefore accepts the painful reality that there is nothing she can do to prevent her beloved Duke’s death when House Atreides moves to the planet Arrakis. Jessica is renowned as a great beauty and part way through Dune’s events discovers the truth of her parentage, previously hidden by Bene Gesserit command—she is the daughter of Baron Harkonnen, a corrupt and abominate individual who is the Duke’s mortal enemy. Jessica’s extraordinary life and sacrifices, including her rise to become the Fremen Reverend Mother of legend, are overshadowed by her son’s legacy as the Bene Gesserit’s Kwisatz Haderach and Fremen’s Lisan al-Gaib.

Lady Jessica Quotes in Dune

The Dune quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Jessica or refer to Lady Jessica. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Power and Violence Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Part 1 Quotes

“A duke’s son must know about poisons,” she said. “It’s the way of our times, eh? Musky, to be poisoned in your drink. Aumas, to be poisoned in your food. The quick ones and the slow ones and the ones in between. Here’s a new one for you: the gom jabbar. It kills only animals.”

Related Characters: Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Related Characters: Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib (speaker), Lady Jessica, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 12
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 3 Quotes

The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows—a wall against the wind. That is the willow's purpose.

Related Characters: Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 9 Quotes

Muad’Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It’s shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad’Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson.

Related Characters: Princess Irulan (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Thufir Hawat, Gurney Halleck, Dr. Wellington Yueh, Duncan Idaho
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 13 Quotes

I must rule with eye and claw—as the the hawk among lesser birds.

Related Characters: Duke Leto Atreides (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dr. Liet-Kynes
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 22 Quotes

People are the true strength of a Great House, Paul thought. And he remembered Hawat’s words: “Parting with people is a sadness; a place is only a place.”

Related Characters: Thufir Hawat (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides
Related Symbols: Spice
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 2 Quotes

And Paul, walking behind Chani, felt that a vital moment had passed him, that he had missed an essential decision and was now caught up in his own myth. He knew he had seen this place before, experienced it in a fragment of prescient dream on faraway Caladan, but details of the place were being filled in now that he had not seen. He felt a new sense of wonder at the limits of his gift. It was as though rode within the wave of time, sometimes in its trough, sometimes on a crest—and all around him the other waves lifted and fell, revealing and then hiding what they bore on their surface.

And through it all, the wild jihad still loomed ahead of him, the violence and the slaughter.

Related Characters: Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Stilgar, Chani Kynes
Page Number: 518
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 4 Quotes

Let him sweat a little, the Baron thought. One must always keep the tools of statecraft sharp and ready. Power and fear—sharp and ready.

Related Characters: Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
Page Number: 372
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 11 Quotes

My mother obeyed her Sister Superiors where the Lady Jessica disobeyed. Which of them was the stronger? History has already answered.

Related Characters: Princess Irulan (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
Page Number: 480
Explanation and Analysis:

When your opponent fears you, then’s the moment when you give the fear its own rein, give it the time to work on him. Let it become terror. The terrified man fights himself. Eventually, he attacks in desperation. That is the most dangerous moment, but the terrified man can be trusted usually to make a fatal mistake. You are being trained here to detect these mistakes and use them.”

Related Characters: Duncan Idaho (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Thufir Hawat, Jamis
Page Number: 493
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 12 Quotes

Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Chani Kynes
Related Symbols: Water
Page Number: 504
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Part 3 Quotes

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong—faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.”

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Part 11 Quotes

"Do you know so little of my son?" Jessica whispered. "See that princess standing there, so haughty and confident. They say she has pretensions of a literary nature. Let us hope she finds solace in such things; she'll have little else." A bitter laugh escaped Jessica. "Think on it, Chani: that princess will have the name, yet she'll live as less than a concubine — never to know a moment of tenderness from the man to whom she's bound. While we, Chani, we who carry the name of concubine — history will call us wives.”

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, Chani Kynes, Princess Irulan
Page Number: 794
Explanation and Analysis:
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Lady Jessica Quotes in Dune

The Dune quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Jessica or refer to Lady Jessica. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Power and Violence Theme Icon
).
Book 1, Part 1 Quotes

“A duke’s son must know about poisons,” she said. “It’s the way of our times, eh? Musky, to be poisoned in your drink. Aumas, to be poisoned in your food. The quick ones and the slow ones and the ones in between. Here’s a new one for you: the gom jabbar. It kills only animals.”

Related Characters: Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Related Characters: Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib (speaker), Lady Jessica, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 12
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 3 Quotes

The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows—a wall against the wind. That is the willow's purpose.

Related Characters: Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica
Related Symbols: Gom Jabbar
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 9 Quotes

Muad’Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It’s shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad’Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson.

Related Characters: Princess Irulan (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Thufir Hawat, Gurney Halleck, Dr. Wellington Yueh, Duncan Idaho
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 13 Quotes

I must rule with eye and claw—as the the hawk among lesser birds.

Related Characters: Duke Leto Atreides (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dr. Liet-Kynes
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Part 22 Quotes

People are the true strength of a Great House, Paul thought. And he remembered Hawat’s words: “Parting with people is a sadness; a place is only a place.”

Related Characters: Thufir Hawat (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides
Related Symbols: Spice
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 2 Quotes

And Paul, walking behind Chani, felt that a vital moment had passed him, that he had missed an essential decision and was now caught up in his own myth. He knew he had seen this place before, experienced it in a fragment of prescient dream on faraway Caladan, but details of the place were being filled in now that he had not seen. He felt a new sense of wonder at the limits of his gift. It was as though rode within the wave of time, sometimes in its trough, sometimes on a crest—and all around him the other waves lifted and fell, revealing and then hiding what they bore on their surface.

And through it all, the wild jihad still loomed ahead of him, the violence and the slaughter.

Related Characters: Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Stilgar, Chani Kynes
Page Number: 518
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 4 Quotes

Let him sweat a little, the Baron thought. One must always keep the tools of statecraft sharp and ready. Power and fear—sharp and ready.

Related Characters: Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
Page Number: 372
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 11 Quotes

My mother obeyed her Sister Superiors where the Lady Jessica disobeyed. Which of them was the stronger? History has already answered.

Related Characters: Princess Irulan (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
Page Number: 480
Explanation and Analysis:

When your opponent fears you, then’s the moment when you give the fear its own rein, give it the time to work on him. Let it become terror. The terrified man fights himself. Eventually, he attacks in desperation. That is the most dangerous moment, but the terrified man can be trusted usually to make a fatal mistake. You are being trained here to detect these mistakes and use them.”

Related Characters: Duncan Idaho (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Lady Jessica, Thufir Hawat, Jamis
Page Number: 493
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Part 12 Quotes

Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Chani Kynes
Related Symbols: Water
Page Number: 504
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Part 3 Quotes

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong—faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.”

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Part 11 Quotes

"Do you know so little of my son?" Jessica whispered. "See that princess standing there, so haughty and confident. They say she has pretensions of a literary nature. Let us hope she finds solace in such things; she'll have little else." A bitter laugh escaped Jessica. "Think on it, Chani: that princess will have the name, yet she'll live as less than a concubine — never to know a moment of tenderness from the man to whom she's bound. While we, Chani, we who carry the name of concubine — history will call us wives.”

Related Characters: Lady Jessica (speaker), Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib, Duke Leto Atreides, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, Chani Kynes, Princess Irulan
Page Number: 794
Explanation and Analysis: