Meaning & Analysis
To be so frustrated with two people or things that you would willingly sacrifice one to the Devil as payment for him to take the other one away as well.
Insights
An Unpleasant Compromise
The proverb describes a desperate, no-win situation where one is forced to make an unpalatable compromise between two equally bad options. It signifies a choice born of extreme exasperation, where the 'solution' is as troublesome as the problem.
Pyrrhic Victory
It illustrates a scenario where achieving a goal (getting rid of one problem) comes at a steep and often immoral price. The act of dealing with the 'Devil' suggests that the victory is tainted and ultimately self-destructive.
Extreme Exasperation
The expression is a vehicle for conveying absolute annoyance with two entities. It's a statement of being so utterly fed up that one would resort to a diabolical or corrupt solution simply to be free of the雙重annoyance.
Theological and Moral Context
Deeply rooted in a Christian theological framework, the proverb reflects a world where the Devil is an active agent of chaos. Making a deal with him, even to resolve a conflict, is a Faustian bargain that implies moral and spiritual peril, a theme prevalent in the 16th-century literature where it appears.
Psychology of Frustration
The proverb serves as a powerful psychological outlet for expressing extreme frustration when caught between two equally unbearable people or situations. The hyperbolic appeal to a supernatural evil underscores a feeling of powerlessness and a desire for any resolution, no matter the cost.
The Self-Defeating Bargain
This expression captures the essence of a 'Pyrrhic victory' or a no-win scenario. By inviting a destructive force (the Devil) to solve a problem, the solution becomes as bad as, or worse than, the original issue, highlighting the folly of using evil means to achieve a desired end.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
Invoking the 'Devil' is a dramatic overstatement that powerfully conveys the speaker's immense frustration and the extreme undesirability of the two options they face.
Symbolism
The Devil serves as a potent symbol for ultimate evil, corruption, or a destructive force, while 'the one' and 'the other' represent any two equally detestable choices or individuals.
Paradox
The proverb is built on the paradoxical idea of employing a malevolent force to achieve a positive outcome (peace and quiet), highlighting the flawed logic of fighting fire with fire.
Transcription
Quotations
I wold gyue the dyuell the tone to cary away the tother.
The deuyll shall haue the tone to fet the tother.
To be rid I would giue the Deuill one halfe to fetch the other.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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