50 Important Quotes You Should Pay Attention to in ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’

Calcifer Quotes in Howl’s Moving Castle

#11: I can’t stand the fire and gunpowder. Those dopey guys have absolutely no manners.

• Character: Calcifer (Speaker)
• Technique: Irony, since Calcifer himself is also a fire 

#12: You shouldn’t keep flying around like that. Soon you won’t be able to turn back into a human

• Character: Calcifer (Speaker)
• Technique: Imperative

#13: No, no, no! Don’t do this! Help! Help! Crazy lady with the shovel! If you kick me out that door, the castle could collapse! 

• Character: Calcifer (Speaker)
• Technique: Symbolism of Calcifer keeping the castle together (similar to how Howl keeps the ‘family’ together)

#14: I wouldn’t open that window if I were you, dear. Calcifer’s too weak right now to protect this place. 

• Character: Witch of the Waste (Speaker), Calcifer
• Technique: Dramatic irony

#15: I don’t cook! I’m a scary and powerful fire demon!

• Character: Calcifer
• Technique: Irony (because he is quickly tamed by Sophie)

Howl’s Moving Castle Funny Quotes

#16: It’s been a pleasure meeting you, even if you are my least favourite vegetable.

• Character: Sophie (Speaker), Turnip-Head
• Technique: Humour 

#17: I wonder what Howl disguised himself as? Surely not a crow. Can’t be a pigeon. He’s too flamboyant for that. 

• Character: Sophie (Speaker), Howl
• Technique: Humour, rhetorical question, tricolon 

#18: He’s calling the spirits of darkness… I saw him do this once before when a girl dumped him! 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Humour, exclamatory statement 

#19: Don’t look at me. I don’t have it. I don’t know what you are talking about.

• Character: Witch of the West
• Technique: Anaphora

#20: Your head’s like a turnip. I’ve always hated turnips ever since I was little. Well, at least you aren’t upside down now. So long!

• Character: Sophie
• Technique: Stream of consciousness 

#21: I’m going up to my room now. Where I may die. 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Dramatic tone, humour

#22: It can’t be good for the table

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Humour and characterisation, demonstrates that Howl takes things in his stride even when they are serious

Howl’s Moving Castle Quotes Love

#23: One thing you can always count on is that hearts change 

• Character: Turnip-Head/Prince Justin
• Technique:  second person, monosyllabic sentence 

#24: There you are sweetheart, sorry I’m late. I was looking everywhere for you. 

• Character: Howl, to Sophie
• Technique: Foreshadowing, ambiguity 

#25: Looks like we have another addition to the family. Hmm, you’ve got quite a nasty spell on you too, huh? Seems like everyone in this family’s got problems.

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Rhetorical question, found family trope

#26: I have this weird feeling you’re going to leave. Howl, tell me what’s going on! Please. I don’t care if you’re a monster

• Character: Sophie
• Technique: Imperative, truncated sentence

#27: See that new colour on the dial? That’s a new portal. It’s a present for you. Come see. 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Truncated sentence, characterisation of Howl becoming less selfish 

#28: Sorry, I’ve had enough of running away, Sophie. Now I’ve got something I want to protect. It’s you. 

• Character: How (Speaker), to Sophie
• Technique: Truncated sentence

#29: I can’t stay. I’ve got to rescue that fool Sophie.

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Affectionate tone

#30: But I brought it on myself by making a bargain some years ago, and I know I shall never be able to love anyone properly now. 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Irony (Howl doesn’t realise that he loves and cares for Markl and Calcifer even before Sophie moved in)

#31: Then you must think of a new meaning for your life

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Monosyllabic sentence

Quotes on the Symbolism of Howl’s Heart 

#32: If I give Howl back his heart, what will happen to you?

• Character: Sophie 
• Technique: Characterisation (Sophie as a caring person)

#33: That boy is extremely dangerous; his powers are far too great for someone without a heart.

• Character: Madame Suliman, about Howl
• Technique: Exaggeration, honest tone

#34: I’m such a big coward, all I do is hide. All of this magic is to keep everybody away. I can’t stand how scared I am. 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Honest tone

#35: She almost smothered me! If I die, Howl dies too. I hope you know. 

• Character: Calcifer
• Technique: Epiphora 

#36: A heart burns like a blue flame.

• Character: Sophie (Speaker), Calcifer
• Technique: Symbolism

#37: Thank you, you have a big heart!

• Character: Sophie, Witch of the Waste
• Technique: Kind tone

#38: You who swallowed a falling star, ‘O heartless man, your heart shall soon be mine.’ 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Symbolism 

#39: I feel terrible, like there’s a weight on my chest

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Symbolism

Appearance and Deception Quotes

#40: I give up. I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Juxtaposition with Sophie who is old, irony 

#41: Sophie! Sophie! You’re beautiful! 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Repetition, truncated sentence 

#42: The Witch of the Waste and Madame Suliman’s dog at my table? What possessed you to let them in my house?

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Rhetorical question, irony

#43: Well, the nice thing about being old is you’ve got nothing much to lose.

• Character: Sophie
• Technique: Irony as Sophie became more comfortable with her desires when she got old 

#44: She was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her. Then I realised she wasn’t, so then as usual, I ran away

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Double entendre, we aren’t sure if Howl is talking about physical beauty or inner beauty here

#45: Just say that you’re Pendragon’s mother and that your son is such a cowardly wizard he’s too afraid to show his face.

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Characterisation, demonstrates Howl’s vulnerability but also his stubbornness 

#46: Wow Sophie, your hair looks just like starlight.

• Character: How (Speaker), Sophie
• Technique: Symbolism

#47: Those wizards will regret doing that. They’ll never change back into humans.

• Character: Calcifer 
• Technique: Foreshadowing

#48: After the war, they won’t recall they ever were human.

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Symbolism, metaphor 

#49: Doors are very powerful things. Things are different on either side of them. 

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Symbolism, metaphor

#50: Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the witch? Not likely! I’m a coward. The only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I’m not doing it!

• Character: Howl
• Technique: Rhetorical question

Got all your quotes? Check out our guide to analysing Howl’s Moving Castle here!