2nd most-quoted character in 12 Years a Slave (2013): in 7 of its 18 quotes
Most scenes with: Solomon Northup (2)
"And that servant which knew his Lord's will... which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself... prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes..." D'ye hear that? "Stripes." That **** that don't take care, that don't obey his lord - that's his master - d'ye see? - that 'ere **** shall be beaten with many stripes. Now, "many" signifies a great many. Forty, a hundred, a hundred and fifty lashes... That's Scripture.
You will remove that black bitch from this property, or I'll take myself back to Cheneyville.
Edwin Epps Back to the hogs's trough where I found you? Do not set yourself against Patsey, my dear. Cos I will rid myself of you well before I do away with her.
Edwin Epps A plague! It's damn Biblical. Two season God done sent a plague to smite me. I am near ruination. Why, Treach? What I done that God hate me so? Do I not preach His word?
Treach The whole Bayou sufferin'.
Edwin Epps I don't care nothin' fer the damn Bayou. I'm sufferin'. [looks at the slaves] It's that Godless lot. They brought this on me. I bring 'em God's word, and heathens they are, they brung me God's scorn.
Edwin Epps Well, boy. I understand I've got a larned **** that writes letters and tries to get white fellows to mail 'em. Well, Armsby tol' me today the devil was among my ****. That I had one that needed close watchin' or he would run away. When I axed him why, he said you come over to him and waked him up in the middle of the night and wanted him to carry a letter to Marksville. What have yah got to say to that?
There is no truth in it.
Edwin Epps You say.
How could I write a letter without ink or paper? There is nobody I want to write to 'cause I hain't got no friends living as I know of. That Armsby is a lying drunken fellow. You know this, just as you know that I am constant in truth. Now, master, I can see what that Armsby is after, plain enough. Didn't he want you to hire him for an overseer? That's it. He wants to make you believe we're all going to run away and then he thinks you'll hire an overseer to watch us. He believes you are soft soap. He's given to such talk. I believe he's just made this story out of whole cloth, 'cause he wants to get a situation. It's all a lie, master, you may depend on't. It's all a lie.
Edwin Epps Well I'll be damned... Were he not free and white, Platt. Were he not free and white.
Patsey I went to Massa Shaw's plantation!
Edwin Epps Ya admit it.
Patsey Freely. And you know why? [she produces a piece of soap from the pocket of her dress] I got this from Mistress Shaw. Mistress Epps won't even grant me no soap ta clean with. Stink so much I make myself gag. Five hundred pounds 'a cotton day in, day out. More than any man here. And 'fo that I will be clean; that all I ax. Dis here what I went to Shaw's 'fo.
Edwin Epps You lie...
Patsey The Lord knows that's all.
Edwin Epps You lie!
Patsey And you blind wit yer own covetousness. I don't lie, Massa. If you kill me, I'll stick ta that.
Edwin Epps I'll learn you to go to Shaw's. Treach, go get some line.
Thou devil! Sooner or later, somewhere in the course of eternal justice thou shalt answer for this sin!
Edwin Epps No sin! There is no sin! A man does how he pleases with his property. At the moment, Platt, I am of great pleasure. You be goddamn careful I don't come to wantin' to lightenin' my mood no further.
Bass The law says you have the right to hold a ****, but begging the law's pardon... it lies. Is everything right because the law allows it? Suppose they'd pass a law taking away your liberty and making you a slave?
Edwin Epps Ha!
Bass Suppose!
Edwin Epps That ain't a supposable case.
Bass Because the law states that your liberties are undeniable? Because society deems it so? Laws change. Social systems crumble. Universal truths are constant. It is a fact, it is a plain fact that what is true and right is true and right for all. White and black alike.
