Characters in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim often fall into predictable archetypes—the stoic Nord warrior, the arrogant Altmer mage, or the humble local innkeeper. However, few NPCs disrupt the atmospheric calm of the snowy province quite like Cicero. As the Keeper of the Night Mother, Cicero is a bundle of contradictions: a ruthless assassin with the appearance of a colorful jester, a man whose high-pitched laughter masks a deep-seated tragedy, and a fanatic whose loyalty to the Dark Brotherhood is both his greatest strength and his ultimate undoing.

The enduring popularity of Cicero is largely rooted in his dialogue. Voiced with chilling precision by Andy Morris, Cicero’s lines are a masterclass in character writing, blending black humor, genuine insanity, and profound lore. For players seeking to understand the mind of the Void’s most colorful servant, analyzing the most iconic Cicero Skyrim quotes offers a window into the darker, more eccentric corners of Tamrielic history.

Meeting the Keeper: The Wagon and the Road

The first time players typically encounter Cicero is on the road north of Whiterun, near Loreius Farm. This encounter, titled "Delayed Burial," sets the stage for his character before the player even knows he belongs to the Dark Brotherhood. Here, Cicero is at his most desperate and ostensibly "helpful," trying to fix a broken wagon wheel while transporting a massive stone coffin containing his "mother."

One of the most memorable quotes from this sequence is:
"Silly farmer! Stupid Loreius! He won't help me! Won't help poor Cicero fix the wheel! The wheel on the wagon for my mother!"

This line establishes several key traits. First, the use of the third person—a classic trope of psychological fragmentation—suggests Cicero no longer views himself as a standard individual. Second, it highlights his fixation on the Night Mother, though at this point, he disguises her remains as his biological mother to avoid suspicion. If the player chooses to help him by convincing Loreius to assist, Cicero’s gratitude is equally peculiar:
"Oh, yes! Yes! You've helped Cicero! You've helped my mother! The Night Mother will never forget! She will whisper of your kindness!"

However, if the player reports him to a guard, his tone shifts to a simmering, cold rage that hints at the killer beneath the bells:
"Someone lied! Someone told the guard! Cicero did something he did not! This is a grave injustice!"

The Music of Madness: Songs and Rhymes

Cicero is famous for his random outbursts of song, which serve as idle dialogue when he is at the Falkreath or Dawnstar Sanctuaries. These rhymes are not just nonsensical filler; they are rhythmic windows into the tenets of the Dark Brotherhood and the nature of the Void.

Perhaps his most famous chant is:
"Ho ho ho and hee hee hee, break that lute across me knee. And if the bard should choose to fight, why then I set his clothes alight!"

This rhyme showcases his utter contempt for traditional art and performance, replacing the "civilized" music of the bards with the chaotic destruction of the jester. It is a subversion of the jester archetype; instead of entertaining for the sake of joy, he entertains for the sake of madness.

Another recurring quote involves his musings on the afterlife:
"...is there singing in the void? Dancing...? Surely the Dread Lord will at least allow poor Cicero to caper..."

This line is surprisingly poignant. It reveals Cicero’s anxiety about his role in the cosmic order. Despite his outward confidence, he wonders if Sithis—the primordial entity of nothingness—has a place for a fool. It suggests that his madness is a form of prayer, a constant performance for a god that rarely answers back.

Loyalty and the Night Mother

Cicero’s relationship with the Night Mother is the core of his existence. As the Keeper, he is tasked with the physical preservation of her corpse, a role he takes with religious fervor. While other members of the Dark Brotherhood, like Astrid, have abandoned the "Old Ways" in favor of a secular mercenary lifestyle, Cicero remains the last true believer.

His interactions with the coffin are often disturbing to overhear:
"I spoke to the Night Mother, but she didn't speak to me. Oh no, she spoke only to him... to the Listener. Cicero is just the Keeper. I keep her clean, and protected, and happy."

When the Dragonborn is revealed to be the Listener, Cicero’s reaction is a complex mix of jealousy and ecstatic joy. He has spent years in isolation, talking to a corpse that remained silent, hoping to hear her voice. When he realizes the player has been chosen instead, he declares:
"The silence has been broken! The Listener has been chosen! At last, the Night Mother has found her voice!"

This transition is vital for the Dark Brotherhood questline. Cicero’s quotes here move from being centered on his own ego to being centered on the service of the player. He becomes a cheerleader for the Void, viewing the player’s contracts as glorious offerings to the "Unholy Matron."

Traveling with a Madman: Follower Commentary

If the player spares Cicero during the quest "The Cure for Madness," he becomes one of the most mechanically and narratively unique followers in the game. Unlike most followers who have generic lines for entering a city, Cicero has specific, lore-rich observations about almost every major hold in Skyrim.

In Riften, he might comment on the Thieves Guild with a hint of professional disdain:
"Riften. A city of thieves! Cicero likes it. But the Black-Briars... they are too loud. They don't understand the beauty of the silence."

In Windhelm, he reflects on the cold and the brewing Civil War:
"Windhelm. So cold. So grey. The Nords here, they fight for a throne. Cicero fights for a Mother. Much more sensible, don't you think?"

His combat lines are equally entertaining, often breaking the fourth wall of typical RPG grit with sheer absurdity:
"Let's kill someone!"
"Ooh, tickles!" (when taking damage)
"That's not a horker! That's my wife! Ha ha ha! Ah, I love that one."

The "horker" joke is particularly interesting as it is a classic Elder Scrolls "dad joke" that Cicero has co-opted into his repertoire of insanity. It illustrates his attempt to maintain the "jester" persona he adopted after his final contract in Cyrodiil.

The Dark History: Why Cicero is the Way He Is

To truly appreciate Cicero's quotes, one must look at his journals, which bridge the gap between his sanity and his current state. These journals document his time in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary and the descent into madness that followed the death of the last Listener.

One of the most chilling quotes from his past involves the final contract he completed as a sane man—the assassination of a jester. He became obsessed with his target, eventually assuming the target's personality to fill the void left by his dying guild. This makes his current dialogue a form of perpetual possession. When he says:
"I am but a humble jester. I perform for the Night Mother, and she alone," he is not just describing a job; he is describing a complete loss of self. The man known as Cicero died years ago; only the Jester remains.

This depth makes his outbursts about the "Old Ways" more meaningful. He isn't just a traditionalist; he is a man clinging to the only structure that keeps his shattered psyche together. His hatred for Astrid is rooted in this:
"Astrid! She ignores the Tenets! She ignores the Night Mother! She is a pretender! A fraud!"

Humor in the Face of Death

Despite his murderous nature, Cicero provides much of the comedic relief in the Dark Brotherhood storyline. This humor is often absurd and situational.

  • On the Dragonborn's Shouting: "For someone called the Listener, you do an awful lot of shouting." This is a clever meta-commentary on the player's Thu'um and their new title within the Brotherhood.
  • On Food: "Need a sweetroll? Or a carrot? No? Fine then."
  • On Stealth: "Sneaking and stabbing! Stabbing and sneaking! My two favorite things!"

These lines keep the character from becoming too oppressive or terrifying. He exists in the "uncanny valley" of personality—someone you want to laugh with, but would never turn your back on. His dialogue ensures that even the grimmest assassination missions have a layer of chaotic energy.

Conclusion: The Legacy of a Jester

Cicero remains one of the most quotable characters in Skyrim because his dialogue is more than just flavor text; it is the heartbeat of a faction in transition. Whether he is singing about burning bards or whispering to a coffin, his words remind the player that the Dark Brotherhood is not just a guild of killers, but a cult of the strange and the lost.

His quotes encapsulate the themes of the game: the clash between the old and the new, the burden of destiny, and the thin line between devotion and insanity. When players revisit these lines, they aren't just remembering a funny NPC; they are reconnecting with a character who, despite his madness, might be the most honest person in all of Skyrim. He loves what he does, he loves who he serves, and he never stops laughing at the absurdity of it all.

For those wandering the roads of Skyrim today, keep an ear out for a high-pitched giggle and the jingle of bells. If you hear someone joking about a horker and a wife, you know you're in the presence of the Keeper. And as Cicero himself would say:
"Let's kill someone!"