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In Gilgamesh the human formed from clay is a wild man, with flowing hair (possibly all over his body) and the strength and manner of life of the animals. In Genesis the clay human is created "in the image of God" and has from the beginning the status of one who is not a companion to the other animals but of one who dominates them.

— Stephen Greenblatt The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve (2017)

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More quotes by Stephen Greenblatt

Allusions to "hidden counsels" and "mysterious reasons" are almost always the mark of doctrinal incoherence.

Hamlet in Purgatory (2002)

The pattern of dreaming and deferral and compromise is an altogether familiar one: it is the epitome of a failed life.

The Swerve (2011)

It is extremely dangerous to have a state run by someone who governs by impulse.

Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (2018)

The quintessential emblem of religion—and the clearest manifestation of the perversity that lies at its core—is the sacrifice of a child by a parent.

The Swerve (2011)

Art always penetrates the particular fissures in one’s psychic life.

The Swerve (2011)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Stephen Greenblatt (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.