What did Imogene mean by saying “Hell is empty and all the devils are here” in The Veil finale? Meaning explained

With The Veil coming to an end Imogen Salter, or Violet eventually received all the answers that had been keeping her up all night. For her, it was not just the loss of her child, but also the loss of her father who was killed after being found as a double agent. The confidential files on her father, Marcus Seabright, that Imogen received from Max also proved that it was the truth.

Nevertheless, being too attached to her father and his memories, Imogen couldn’t accept the fact that her father was a traitor to the nation and deemed that his own men killed him. To some extent, even the audience might have presumed that Marcus being a double agent was all a coverup for the British Intelligence to hide their mess.

However, what really transpired in the end came as a shocker for everyone. Learning about her father’s truth caused Imogen to say “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

Despite the line being a bit straightforward in implying what the character wanted to express, its meaning hinted a deeper, darker truth. Follow along with the article to learn more.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for FX’s The Veil. Reader discretion is advised.

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Imogen quotes Shakespeare after learning about her father’s truth in The Veil

Imogen/Violet, as seen in The Veil episode 6 (Image via Hulu)

In the final moments of The Veil, Imogen was grief-stricken, as she failed to cherish the promise she made to Adilah, to provide her and her daughter a safe haven.

Before being shot by Patrick, the Royal Marine bodyguard of Michael, Adilah revealed the name of the ship, inscribing Provadia on the windshield, keeping her end of the bargain.

While coping with the loss of Adilah, Imogen found a letter that was meant for someone named Sebastian Illyra. The thing that peaked her intrigue was, realizing that the address was closer to the manor.

On arriving at the place, Imogen discovered that she was being closely monitored all this time, by none other than her own father, Marcus, who was very much alive.

After piecing together the grand puzzle, Imogen discovered that his father was the person who orchestrated the terrorist activities, and for him, Adilah, Emir and everyone involved in the attack were simply pawns. Marcus was a double agent, working with the Russian FSB.

Additionally, he also entrusted Imogen to his protege, Michael, who groomed her to become a spy agent. Although it was not clearly stated in The Veil, given Michael was following Marcus’ orders, it can be presumed that he wanted Imogen to follow in his footsteps.

Marcus' hideout as shown in The Veil episode 6 (Image via Hulu)

Discovering that her father was indeed a traitor caused Imogen to say, “hell is empty, and all the devils are here,” by which she meant that her father was one of the evil people who made Earth a literal hell. The famous line was quoted from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

After seeing through the lens of Shakespeare, the line talks about the inherent capacity of evil within humanity, suggesting that the world humans exist in is the very hell one can imagine. The legendary English playwright, poet and actor lived in a tough period, and most of his plays were inspired by the chaos he bore witness to.

Even some of his characters like Macbeth and King Lear embody the very line. In short, the line hell is empty and all the devils are here, is just a hyperbole to exaggerate the point that the world is filled with evil people. In the final moments of episode 6, Imogen accepted that her father was a traitor.

This scene signified that people like Marcus are the reason behind the suffering of Adilah and others like her who get treated as pawns to create religious conflict, political upheaval and social unrest. It wasn't easy for Imogen to come to terms with the realization that her father wasn’t the person she idealized.

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