If the drama of real-life politics isn’t enough for you, you’ll love these House of Cards quotes and series.
House of Cards is a political thriller series on Netflix created by Beau Willimon. The first season was released in 2013 and since then gathered tons of fans across the globe.
The smart and dark theme of this show gave out a fresh appeal to the audience. In addition, its villainous portrayal of the main character, Frank Underwood, hits a perfect timing when all the shows out there at that time were about a generic heroic figure.
The House of Cards is set in the vicious world of US politics. Although most of the events are purely work of fiction, some portrayals uncannily resemble the political weather in most democratic nations.
These House of Cards quotes will take you on a wild ride of betrayal, power, and manipulation.
Don’t forget to also check out these Bridgerton quotes from the hit period drama.
House of Cards quotes from Frank Underwood
1. “The best thing about human beings is that they stack so neatly.” ― Frank Underwood
2. “I’ve always loathed the necessity of sleep. Like death, it puts even the most powerful men on their backs.” ― Frank Underwood
3. “From this moment on, you are a rock. You absorb nothing, you say nothing, and nothing breaks you.” ― Frank Underwood
4. “A great man once said, everything is about sex. Except for sex. Sex is about power.” ― Frank Underwood
5. “The nature of promises is that they remain immune to changing circumstances.” ― Frank Underwood
6. “The road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties. Never regret.” ― Frank Underwood
7. “Every kitten grows up to be a cat. They seem so harmless at first. Small, quiet, lapping up their saucer of milk. But once their claws get long enough, they draw blood. Sometimes from the hand that feeds them. For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted.” ― Frank Underwood
8. “Proximity to power deludes some into thinking they wield it.” ― Frank Underwood
9. “Democracy is so overrated.” ― Frank Underwood
10. “There’s no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth.” ― Frank Underwood
11. “There are two kinds of pain. The sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain. The sort of pain that’s only suffering. I have no patience for useless things.” ― Frank Underwood
House of Cards quotes from Claire Underwood
12. “I’m not worried about your brain. It’s your heart we’re talking about.” ― Claire Underwood
13. “The blood is on all of our hands, and doing nothing is the same as pulling a trigger.” ― Claire Underwood
14. “We need to dial up the terror…” — Claire Underwood
15. “Now, history judges every leader, every president, by how he or she treats his or her own people.” — Claire Underwood
16. “You know, it’s pure feeling for me. Light versus dark. And that line where they meet.” — Claire Underwood
House of Cards quotes from Tom Hammerschmidt
17. “Grief demands an answer, but sometimes there isn’t one.” ― Tom Hammerschmidt
18. “He was right about your soul. What’s in your bones. That you’re ruthless. You’re corrupt. You destroy whatever’s in your path.” — Tom Hammerschmidt
House of Cards quotes from Thomas Yates
19. “You could wake up tomorrow…and…I don’t know, feed the children…start a war…” — Thomas Yates
20. “He’s hiding something…but it doesn’t matter. He’s modern. He makes the presidency accessible. I mean, don’t you want to see the candidate stay up all night?” — Thomas Yates
House of Cards quotes from other characters
21. “Brave is never giving up. You fight, no matter what.” — Hannay Conway
22. “It’s good to have dreams, just so long as they’re not fantasies.” ― Freddy Hayes
23. “We both know something the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge. There is no justice, only conquest.” — Tian Jun Gu
24. “I’m not fucking you because I like you. I’m fucking you because I hate you.” — Laura Moretti
25. “But she is merciless. Single-minded as a single mind can be.” — Mark Usher
26. “The real power isn’t here. It’s beyond here. It’s above it, but still working in conjunction with it.”— Matt Hubbard
More house of Cards quotes from Frank Underwood
27. “Power is a lot like real estate. It’s all about location, location, location. The closer you are to the source, the higher your property value.” ― Frank Underwood
28. “Friends make the worst enemies.” ― Frank Underwood
29. “Such a waste of talent. He chose money overpower. In this town, a mistake nearly everyone makes. Money is the MC-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference.” ― Frank Underwood
30. “If we never did the things we shouldn’t do, we’d never feel good about doing the things we should.” ― Frank Underwood
31. “What’s the face of a coward? The back of his head as he runs from the battle.” ― Frank Underwood
32. “You can’t turn a ‘NO’ to a ‘YES’ without a ‘MAYBE’ in between.” ― Frank Underwood
33. “Success is a mixture of preparation and luck.” ― Frank Underwood
34. “First, you must learn to pull an oar. Only then can you take the helm.” ― Frank Underwood
35. “I have zero tolerance for betrayal, which they will soon indelibly learn.” ― Frank Underwood
36. “That’s how you devour a whale… one bite at a time.” ― Frank Underwood
37. “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.” ― Frank Underwood
38. “We are nothing more or less than what we choose to reveal.” ― Frank Underwood
39. “Shake with your right hand, but hold a rock in your left.” ― Frank Underwood
40. “You are entitled to nothing.” ― Frank Underwood
41. “A lion does not ask permission before he eats a zebra. Lions cannot talk, and zebras will not listen.” ― Frank Underwood
42. “You build your future, it isn’t handed to you.” ― Frank Underwood
43. “You have to respect your own mortality.” ― Frank Underwood
44. “When the money’s coming your way, you don’t ask questions.” ― Frank Underwood
45. “Pay attention to the fine print. It’s far more important than the selling price.” ― Frank Underwood
46. “Imagination is its own form of courage.” ― Frank Underwood
47. “I love that woman. I love her more than sharks love blood.” ― Frank Underwood
48. “I feel exposed. Like the skin where my ring used to be. Even Achilles was only as strong as his heel.” ― Frank Underwood
49.“Generosity is its own form of power.” ― Frank Underwood
50. “Even though I am an adult man, I enjoy video games.” ― Frank Underwood
Which of these house of Cards quotes is your favorite?
This series has gained over 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations due to its masterful execution of Shakespeare’s 4th wall break, which is well received by the fans.
Despite all of the dark political atmosphere of the show, it’s not about a tale of evil overcoming good but rather a critical approach that drives the question “is there more to politics than pure comedy and spectacle”.
The next time you think about politics, force yourself to take a deeper look at the motive of your favorite politician. These House of Cards quotes and sayings will keep you entertained and critical of the dark side of politics.
