Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“A gentleman has no right to hurt a woman under any circumstances.”
- Source
- Arms and the Man
- Date
- 1894
Meaning of “A gentleman has no right to hurt a…”
Sergius recognizes that his claim to gentlemanly honor is incompatible with having physically hurt Louka, even though the scene also exposes his unstable chivalric self-image.
Where does it come from?
Arms and the Man, Act II, Project Gutenberg #3618. Sergius says “A gentleman has no right to hurt a woman under any circumstances” while apologizing after gripping Louka hard enough to bruise her; Louka immediately challenges the adequacy of his apology. The line is fictional dramatic dialogue that exposes contradictions in Sergius’s chivalric self-image rather than a complete legal or relationship rule.