A plot device in a story which entails the villain giving a convincing lecture to its interrogator, usually in an attempt to justify itself; often successfully convincing the hero of his or her own moral shortcomings.
"You'd like to quantify me, Officer Starling. You're so ambitious, aren't you? Do you know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. You're a well-scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Your eyes are like cheap birthstones - all surface shine when you stalk some little answer. And you're bright behind them, aren't you? Desperate not to be like your mother. Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation out of the mines Officer Starling. Is it the West Virginia Starlings or the Okie Starlings, Officer? It was a toss-up between college and the opportunities in the Women's Army Corps, wasn't it? Let me tell you something specific about yourself, Student Starling. Back in your room, you have a string of gold add-a-beads and you feel an ugly little thump when you look at how tacky they are now, isn't that so? All those tedious thank-yous, permitting all that sincere fumbling, getting all sticky once for every bead. Tedious. Tedious. Bo-o-o-o-r-i-ing. Being smart spoils a lot of things, doesn't it? And taste isn't kind. When you think about this conversation, you'll remember the dumb animal hurt in his face when you got rid of him. If the add-a-beads got tacky, what else will as you go along? You wonder don't you, at night?"
—The Hannibal Lecture by Hannibal Lecter, The Silence Of The Lambs (book)
—The Hannibal Lecture by Hannibal Lecter, The Silence Of The Lambs (book)
by Kontesa January 13, 2010
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You: Who is Hannibal Burress?
-after watching every clip of him on YouTube-
You: OMG he's got great comedic jokes!
-after watching every clip of him on YouTube-
You: OMG he's got great comedic jokes!
by Burning Urine December 22, 2013
Get the Hannibal Burress mug.A term depicting a person who is constantly inclined to advise/lecture everyone about every little fact that they know in a pedantic manner.
by Swampybaby April 4, 2016
Get the Hannibal Lecture mug.The greatest military tactician in history, and general of the Carthaginian armies in both Punic Wars against Rome.
Inventor of the pincers movement, pioneered in the Battle of Cannae (216BC), the greatest defeat in Roman military history, and the third of his three great victories over Roman forces (following River Trebia in 218BC and Lake Trasimene in 217BC).
The Carthaginian empire spanned from Tunisia (where Carthage is) through Libya and most of North Africa, Spain, Mallorca, Corsica, Sicily, and Sardinia.
His name also inspired the name of the city of Barcelona, which was once part of the Carthaginian empire.
Inventor of the pincers movement, pioneered in the Battle of Cannae (216BC), the greatest defeat in Roman military history, and the third of his three great victories over Roman forces (following River Trebia in 218BC and Lake Trasimene in 217BC).
The Carthaginian empire spanned from Tunisia (where Carthage is) through Libya and most of North Africa, Spain, Mallorca, Corsica, Sicily, and Sardinia.
His name also inspired the name of the city of Barcelona, which was once part of the Carthaginian empire.
Alexander the Great may have had the numbers and the massive empire, but Hannibal Barca had the tactics, the better cavalry and ELEPHANTS!!!
by OD Smith August 23, 2007
Get the Hannibal Barca mug.Coolest Book charector ever? Quite Possible. Was in 3 movies, who was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins (Who was an INCREDIBLE Hannibal) and 3 Books (Red Dragon First, Then Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal Last) which was written by Thomas Harris (Who is one of the BEST writers ever, alongside of Stephen King) If you were fortunite to see Silence of the Lambs, you would know the greatness of Hannibal Lecter. How he seems to be your friend, how he is calm even when he kills people, how he knows everything that is happeneing, and he never loses his cool. Hannibal PWNS j00
"He dosn't kill because he is insane, he kills because he likes it"
- Will Graham, Red Dragon
If you have not seen The Silence of the Lmbs, Red Dragon or Hannibal, go out and buy it at blockbluster. And then read the books :)
Every Halloween, I have a Hannibal Lecter mask on, I scare everyone I meet.
- Will Graham, Red Dragon
If you have not seen The Silence of the Lmbs, Red Dragon or Hannibal, go out and buy it at blockbluster. And then read the books :)
Every Halloween, I have a Hannibal Lecter mask on, I scare everyone I meet.
by Super Spikes October 12, 2005
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