# Epigraph explained — The War of the Worlds

> Chapter companion for The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

## What happens

The epigraph quotes Kepler's meditation on the possibility of inhabited worlds and humanity's place in the universe, questioning whether humans or other beings are the lords of creation.

## Themes in this chapter

### Alienation and Otherness

The epigraph introduces the central question of humanity's relationship with potential alien beings, framing the theme of otherness that pervades the novel.

### Human Vulnerability and Vanity

The question 'Are we or they Lords of the World?' challenges human arrogance and foreshadows the vulnerability of humanity in the face of the Martian invasion.

## Key lines

> But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited? … Are we or they Lords of the World? … And how are all things made for man?

If other planets are populated, what kind of beings live there? Do we humans rule the universe, or do they? Is everything really created for our benefit?

_The epigraph sets up the novel's central philosophical challenge to anthropocentrism._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters