As soon as Aunt Lydia walks into a room, handmaids know something terrifying is about to happen, or at least be said, even if it doesn’t seem to be all that scary initially. Aunt Lydia, real name Lydia Clements (played beautifully by the Emmy-winning Ann Dowd), is the woman in charge of the network of handmaids within the dystopian society of Gilead in the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale. To say she's strict is an understatement. She fiercely believes that her “girls” have been given a gift, saved from the unrighteousness of the modern world and designed for one sole purpose: to bear children for the barren wives of the Commanders.

Disagree with her views, and those of Gilead, and she won’t flinch to take out an eye, have a handmaid whipped, stick them with her trusty cattle prod, or worse.

Updated on October 16, 2022 by Christine Persaud:

While the tides appear to be shifting with Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale, with her finally realizing Gilead and its ways might not be the answer, she still remains one of the most frightening characters on the show. Even when trying to be sympathetic, her words hurt. She tries to justify her actions as being righteous, and even as the curtain starts to pull back on Gilead's nefarious ways, her mere presence has handmaids shaking.

"This Will Become Ordinary."

Season 1, Episode 1 "Offred"

Aunt Lydia talking to Janine on The Handmaid's Tale

The quotes begins: “I know this must feel so strange, but ordinary is just what you’re used to. This may not be ordinary to you now, but after a time it will.” What makes this statement so frightening is that, in a way, Aunt Lydia is right. Live a certain way long enough, and it becomes normalized. If the handmaids continue to do their duties as ordered, eventually, if enough time passes, they may forget what it was like to live in a free, democratic world.

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Aunt Lydia believes that what is being done in Gilead isn’t wrong, it’s just different, and not what the girls are used to. But it’s completely normal, and eventually, they’ll figure that out.

"The Most Painful Thing In This Entire Ugly Incident...

...Is The Ingratitude."

Season 1, Episode 4 "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum"

Aunt Lydia with her hands on June's cheeks on The Handmaid's Tale

She says this quote to June, referencing her attempt to escape. "The most painful thing is not the betrayal of trust, June," she says. "Do you know what’s most painful?" She then references the ingratitude, as though June should be thankful for the life she has in Gilead where she is treated like nothing more than a broodmare, her sentence from one of the most terrifying Gilead laws in The Handmaid's Tale.

In her eyes, June doesn’t realize everything Gilead is doing for her. Somehow, the despicable nature of forcing women to have intercourse with men, then making them carry and immediately give up a child, is lost on Aunt Lydia. She can’t quite comprehend why the handmaids are not thanking her for all she does, even when she doles out physical abuse at the drop of a hat.

"They Made Such A Mess Of Everything."

Season 1, Episode 1 "Offred"

Aunt Lydia sitting in her home with a young woman in a flashback on The Handmaid's Tale

This quote began talking about women in a pre-Gilead society. "They filled the air with chemicals and radiation and poison! So, God whipped up a special plague. The plague of infertility… as birthrates fell, they made things worse. Birth control pills, morning-after pills, murdering babies. Just so they could have their orgies, their Tinder.”

Aunt Lydia believes that it is all of these gross acts that led to God punishing women (and men) with infertility. Interestingly, God didn’t punish many women Aunt Lydia believes to be the worst offenders, and they remained fertile. To her, it’s because they were meant to serve as handmaids. So really, she blames the girls. Had they not been promiscuous, smoking, taking drugs, and using dating apps like Tinder for one-night hook-ups, perhaps Gilead wouldn’t have been forced to take over and restore order.

“You Won’t Want What You Cannot Have.”

Season 1, Episode 3 "Late"

Ofglen in a white hospital gown holding her stomach, Aunt Lydia looking on in a scene from The Handmaid's Tale

It’s not the line so much that is frightening as it is why and when she said it. Aunt Lydia speaks these words to Ofglen right after she was forced to have a clitorodectomy, punishment for being what they call a Gender Traitor. Normally, the punishment would be death, or being sent to The Colonies, but since Ofglen/Emily could still bear children, she was spared.

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Aunt Lydia wanted to make sure that Ofglen was fully aware of her duty as a handmaid and could never again get pleasure from the experience, either while performing the act for the family to which she was assigned, or escaping for secret trysts with female lovers. It’s scary and despicable on so many levels.

"Remember Your Scripture. Blessed Are The Meek."

Season 1, Episode 3 "Late"

Aunt Lydia reading from a book in The Handmaid's Tale

When Offred/June talks back to Aunt Lydia, the terrifying lady calmly says this line to put the handmaid back in her place. It is the handmaid’s role to be submissive, and she should respect that. But Offred, an often outspoken thorn in Aunt Lydia’s side, throws it right back at her and replies “and blessed are those who suffer for the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

Aunt Lydia didn’t take well to this and proceeded to beat Offred with her cattle prod until Serena stopped her, showing that there is a real and dangerous threat behind Lydia's words.

"You Are So Lucky! So Privileged!”

Season 1, Episode 1 "Offred"

June with other handmaids looking at something in The Handmaid's Tale.

This was another line Aunt Lydia delivered to brainwash the handmaids into believing they were serving God and doing good, and should be thanking her that they were given this "privilege." The quote began: "They were dirty women. They were sluts. But you are special girls. Fertility is a gift given right from God. He left you intact for a Biblical purpose… you guys will serve the leaders of the faithful and their barren wives. You will bear children for them.”

The enthusiasm in Aunt Lydia’s voice when she delivers this terrifying speech to newly-recruited handmaids made it seem as though she was preparing these women for a new semester of school and about to hand out donuts and coffee. But she was actually preparing them to become completely submissive, active participants in bearing children for other women. It's one of many things that don't make sense in The Handmaid's Tale.

"The World Can Be Quite An Ugly Place."

Season 1, Episode 1 "Offred"

Aunt Lydia from The Handmaid's Tale standing at a podium talking, looking worried

The quotes continues: "But we cannot wish that ugliness away. We cannot hide from that ugliness.” As fans learned from Aunt Lydia’s backstory, which was revealed in season 3, even before entering Gilead, she was upset with the state of the world. As a teacher to grade 4 students, she witnessed neglectful parenting firsthand, sad that these women were graced with children while so many other loving parents were struggling.

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In her eyes, God punished society with infertility, and it was her job to gather fertile women like cattle and use them to bear children for people she believed would offer good families. She truly believed there was no ugliness in this act.

“Ah, Blessed Day.”

Multiple Season And Episodes

Aunt Lydia from The Handmaid's Tale, looking sternly at handmaids.

They represent a common greeting among people in Gilead, and there’s nothing really out of the ordinary about these words. In fact, they sound quite pleasant. Yet when Aunt Lydia walks into or leaves a room uttering them, fans can feel their skin crawl.

She doesn’t have to say much. But just her greeting lets everyone know something awful is very likely about to happen, or maybe already has. Ironically, she always delivers this greeting in such a pleasant-sounding way, which makes her even more ominous knowing what she is capable of beyond the smile and pleasantries.

"They Won’t Judge You For Your Looks...

...Or Your Clothes Or Your Ability To Sound Clever.”

Season 1, Episode 4 "Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum"

Aunt Lydia pointing a cattle prod at June in The Handmaid's Tale

Aunt Lydia described what was to come for the new handmaids. “Soon you will be leaving us for new homes, a new family." The line essentially emphasizes that these women are simply to obey, do what they are asked, and that's all their new families will care about.

Aunt Lydia always has a way with words. While she was often challenged by Offred, there was always a reason why she couldn’t outright mutilate or otherwise punish the handmaid. But she made sure that Offred understood her place, often speaking to her as though she were her own daughter. In this line, she let Offred know that while she might have gotten away with things in her current house by seducing the Commander or with clever and witty words, that wasn't going to work in her new home.

"I Have Testaments To Your Many Abuses Of Power."

Season 4, Episode 5 "Chicago"

Aunt Lydia standing in the dark in The Handmaid's Tale

Spoken to Commander Lawrence - one of the best supporting characters on The Handmaid's Tale - in an effort to get her position of power back, Aunt Lydia slyly threatened him with her knowledge of all his wrongdoings, including his black market activity and the fact that he was working with June to help her and the other handmaids and children escape.

She went on to note that she had sources and witnesses. While Commander Lawrence didn't appear particularly worried or phased by her threats, he also respected Aunt Lydia's strategy in trying to work her way into being "of service" to him. He used her to eliminate enemies of his own and reinstated her position, so clearly even if her words did not scare him, she still managed to get what she wanted.

"Only In Suffering Will We Find Grace."

Season 2, Episode 1 "June"

Aunt Lydia looking at the camera in The Handmaid's Tale

Despite how close she was to Janine, Aunt Lydia was willing to have her stoned to death for her misdeeds with Commander Warren Putnam and baby Angela. However, the handmaids stood up to her and refused to go through with it. Aunt Lydia was not one to be embarrassed or disobeyed, but part of her might have been relieved to spare Janine's life.

However, punishment was needed. And she delivered it in an awful way, lining up the handmaids and burning their hands on a hot stove, one by one. It was cruel and evil, but she justified it with this line.

"Did You Behave In A Way That Might Have...

...Invited His Attention?"

Season 5, Episode 6 "Together"

Aunt Lydia in the dark in The Handmaid's Tale

It wasn't so much the line as it was the implication behind it. Even when Aunt Lydia was trying to be sympathetic, she was still accusatory towards the handmaids, believing any bad that might come of them must have been their fault. This is precisely what happened when she learned that Esther was pregnant after having been left alone in a room with Commander Putnam, prior to officially being posted to his home and the official sacred "ceremony" taking place.

Aunt Lydia deserves some credit for believing Esther once she told her what happened and recognizing that it was wrong, and that she played a role in letting it happen. Nonetheless, to even ask Esther such a question was heinous.

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