Meaning & Analysis
Based on an ancient and biologically inaccurate belief, this refers to the myth that crocodiles cry while luring or devouring their victims. The 'tears' are actually just lachrymal secretions that keep their eyes moist.
Insights
Insincere Grief
The primary metaphor for insincere or feigned sorrow. It describes a hypocritical display of grief or remorse intended to manipulate onlookers and conceal malicious intent.
Predatory Sympathy
The tears symbolize a predatory tactic, where a display of vulnerability or sympathy is used as a weapon to disarm a victim before attacking or exploiting them.
Hypocritical Betrayal
Represents the ultimate form of betrayal, where an individual pretends to mourn for the very person they have harmed or are in the process of harming, highlighting profound hypocrisy.
Performative Deception
The act signifies a calculated performance of emotion. It points to a person who is not feeling genuine sadness but is consciously acting to deceive others for strategic advantage.
Mythological Origins
Rooted in ancient myths about crocodiles weeping for their prey, this proverb's endurance was cemented by its inclusion in Erasmus's 'Adagia', becoming a staple in European literature to symbolize ultimate deceit.
Literary and Theatrical Resonance
The proverb's frequent use by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, like Jonson and Bacon, highlights a Renaissance fascination with the duality of appearance versus reality and the performance of emotion.
Psychology of Deception
The phrase powerfully captures the psychological concept of manipulative or sociopathic behavior, where emotions are mimicked for personal gain, revealing a deep-seated cultural anxiety about the authenticity of expressed feelings.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The entire phrase functions as a powerful metaphor, transferring the mythical predatory deception of an animal onto human behavior to signify false sorrow.
Irony
The juxtaposition of tears (a symbol of genuine sorrow) with the act of devouring a victim creates a potent and disturbing irony that underscores the theme of hypocrisy.
Symbolism
The crocodile, an ancient and cold-blooded predator, serves as a powerful symbol for ruthless and remorseless deception, making the associated 'tears' inherently sinister.
Transcription
Quotations
Crocodili lachrymae
*A prouerbe, applied unto them, which hatyng an other man, whom they would destroie, or haue destroied, thei will seme to bee sorye for hym.
The Crocodile shrowdeth greatest treason vnder most pitifull teares.
Weepe as the Crocodile.
Crocodile, that hast thy teares pre-par'd, Expecting, how thou'lt bid 'hem flow.
It is the wisdom of Crocodiles, that shed tears when they would devour.
She yielded to my crocodile tears.
Then shedding a few Crocodile teares, and seeming to take compassion on him.
To do as the Crocodil, viz. which kills a man, and afterwards weeps over him.
In short her smiles are more treacherous then a Crocodiles tears.
Shakespeare Citations
Gloucester's show Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile With sorrow snares relenting passengers.
If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.
What manner o' thing is your crocodile? —The tears of it are wet.
Cross References
- See St., no. 1283.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.