Quick answer“I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me.” is a famous quote by Ludwig van Beethoven. It comes from Letter to Franz Gerhard Wegeler (16 November 1801). It is widely quoted on courage and motivation.
Losing his hearing at thirty, Beethoven told his friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler: 'I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me.' He wrote the words in a letter from Vienna on 16 November 1801, refusing to let deafness end his career.
Origin: Written by Beethoven in a letter to his friend and physician Franz Gerhard Wegeler, from Vienna on 16 November 1801 (Beethoven-Haus Bonn, BGA 70). Beethoven's hearing had been failing for about three years, and he had confided in Wegeler about it that June. The German, in his own spelling, is 'ich will dem schicksaal in den rachen greifen, ganz niederbeugen soll es mich gewiß nicht' — literally, 'I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly not bend me down completely.'
Translated from German.
Key facts
| Quote | “I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me.” |
|---|---|
| Author | Ludwig van Beethoven |
| Source | Letter to Franz Gerhard Wegeler (16 November 1801) |
| Themes | courage, motivation |
| Language | German (translation) |
| Original | “ich will dem schicksaal in den rachen greifen, ganz niederbeugen soll es mich gewiß nicht” |
Overview
Beethoven's hearing had begun to fail around 1798, when he was twenty-seven, and by 1801 he could no longer follow speech at a distance or hear high instruments. That June he confessed the problem to Wegeler, his childhood friend from Bonn, now a doctor. In November he wrote again, full of news about his work and a new love, and ended his defiance of deafness with the famous line. A year later, in the Heiligenstadt Testament of October 1802, he admitted he had thought of ending his life, and resolved instead to live for his art. He kept that resolve: profoundly deaf, he went on to compose the Ninth Symphony and the late quartets.
Frequently asked questions
When did Beethoven write 'I will seize fate by the throat'?
On 16 November 1801, in a letter from Vienna to his friend and physician Franz Gerhard Wegeler in Bonn. Beethoven was thirty, and his hearing had been failing for about three years. He had first confided in Wegeler about his deafness that June.
What did Beethoven write in German?
In his own spelling: 'ich will dem schicksaal in den rachen greifen, ganz niederbeugen soll es mich gewiß nicht.' Literally that is 'I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly not bend me down completely.' The letter is catalogued as BGA 70, and the autograph is held by Beethoven-Haus Bonn.
Was Beethoven deaf when he wrote the letter?
He was going deaf, not yet fully deaf. His hearing had weakened since about 1798, and by 1801 he struggled to follow conversation and high notes, though he could still hear music. He composed his greatest works, including the Ninth Symphony, after losing his hearing altogether.
What is the Heiligenstadt Testament?
A letter Beethoven wrote to his brothers in October 1802, while staying in the village of Heiligenstadt outside Vienna. In it he admits his despair over deafness and thoughts of suicide, and resolves to live on for his art. He never sent it.
Related quotes
- “Music is indeed the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life.” — Ludwig van Beethoven
- “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” — Thomas Edison
- “Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” — Nikola Tesla
- “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
- “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” — Charles Darwin
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Keep exploring
- All quotes — the full list
- More quotes on courage
- More quotes on motivation
- Ludwig van Beethoven — the author's life and facts
Sources & last updated
- Wikisource — Beethoven's letter to Dr. Wegeler (Romain Rolland translation)
- Project Gutenberg — Beethoven: The Man and the Artist (Kerst)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.