25 A Clockwork Orange Quotes from the Controversial Novel and Film

By Stephanie Kirby

Writer, Entrepreneur and Inspirational quote curator

Published April 9, 2023

There are a lot of mixed feelings about the film and these A Clockwork Orange quotes will give you a taste of it.

A Clockwork Orange began as a novel written by Anthony Burgess and was turned into a film directed by Stanley Kubrick back in 1971.

There were a lot of controversies that surrounded the premiere release of the film.

It was released in Britain at a time when people were questioning the impact that watching violence had on people’s behavior.

The novel and film are about a young man, Alex, who leads a gang of his friends in things like ultraviolent acts and rape.

Eventually, Alex is turned over to the cops and used for an experimental procedure to fix him.

Here are some of the A Clockwork Orange quotes from the novel and film to give you a small taste of the storyline.

Don’t forget to also check out these Monsters Inc quotes from the hit Disney movie.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement.

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

A Clockwork Orange quotes from the film and novel about good and evil

1. “Violence makes violence.”

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2. “But what I do I do because I like to do.”

3. “I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.”

4. “It is as inhuman to be totally good as it is to be totally evil.”

5. “We can destroy what we have written, but we cannot unwrite it.”

6. “This must be a real horrorshow film if you’re so keen on my viddying it.”

7. “Is it better for a man to have chosen evil than to have good imposed upon him?”

8. “Goodness comes from within. Goodness is chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.”

9. “Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses to be bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?”

10. “The important thing is moral choice. Evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate. Life is sustained by the grinding opposition of moral entities.”

11. “If he can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange—meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil.”

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A Clockwork Orange quotes from Alex

12. “I was cured, all right.” ― Alex

13. “I’ve taught you much, my little droogies.” ― Alex

14. “You know what you can do with that watch? Stick it up your ass!” ― Alex

15. “I’m singing in the rain. Just singing in the rain. What a glorious feelin’ I’m happy again.” ― Alex

16. “Yes, sir, and a very lonely place it is too, sir when I wake up in the middle of the night with my pain.” ― Alex

17. “It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.” ― Alex

18. “It had been a wonderful evening and what I needed now, to give it the perfect ending, was a little of the Ludwig Van.” ― Alex

19. “I jumped. O my brothers, and I fell hard but I did not snuff it, oh no. if I had snuffed it, I would not be here to tell what I have told.”― Alex

20. “Appy-polly-loggies. I had something of a pain in the gulliver so I had to sleep. I was not awakened when I gave orders for wakening.” ― Alex

21. “Now they knew who was master and leader. Sheep, though I, but a real leader always knows when like to give and show generous to his unders.” ― Alex

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More quotes from A Clockwork Orange

22. “It’ll be your own torture. I hope to God it’ll torture you to madness!” ― Deltoid

23. “He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice!” ― Prison Chaplain

24. “This vicious young hoodlum will be transformed out of all recognition.” ― Minister

25. “Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer.” – Prison Chaplain

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Which of these A Clockwork Orange quotes is your favorite?

There were many protests over the film in England back in the 1970s and it was eventually banned by Kubrick due to the response.

When it was released in the US, a very short scene was replaced to bring the movie down to an R rating.

In 2019 it was brought onto Netflix and the opinions continue to be mixed by movie watchers.

While some appreciate the deeper storyline of the government vs the main character and its ability to control him, others continue to see the film for what it is – somewhat glorifying ultraviolent behavior while making you question if you should feel any empathy for someone who has caused so much pain.