# Mercury and the Man Bitten by an Ant explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## What happens

A man criticizes the gods for allowing the good and bad to perish together in a shipwreck, but when he is bitten by an ant, he angrily crushes many innocent ants. Mercury appears and rebukes him for his hypocrisy, questioning his sense of justice.

## Themes in this chapter

### Justice and Consequence

The man's hypocritical judgment of the gods is immediately punished by Mercury, highlighting the theme of justice.

### Human Nature and Vice

The man's quick temper and lack of self-awareness expose human hypocrisy and vice.

## Character check-ins

### Mercury

Appears to rebuke the man for his hypocrisy.

### The Ant

Bites the man, provoking his unjust retaliation.

## Key lines

> They care nothing for a man’s character, but let the good and the bad go to their deaths together.

The gods are indifferent to a person's moral worth, allowing both virtuous and wicked to die alike.

_The man's initial complaint about divine injustice._

> You villain, where’s your nice sense of justice now?

You scoundrel, what happened to your fine principles of fairness?

_Mercury's rebuke, exposing the man's hypocrisy._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/mercury-and-the-man-bitten-by-an-ant
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