Meaning & Analysis
To fashion a piece of wood into either a finished arrow (a shaft) for a longbow or a cruder projectile (a bolt) for a crossbow. The core idea is to create a functional item from raw material, one way or another, rather than abandoning the task.
Insights
Commitment to Decisive Action
The proverb signifies a commitment to take decisive action to bring a matter to a conclusion, for better or worse. It is a vow to force an outcome rather than leaving a situation unresolved.
Risk and Resolution
It expresses a willingness to take a risk or a gamble to settle an issue. As Shakespeare's citation makes clear ('tis but venturing!'), the phrase is often used when facing a critical choice with an uncertain result.
Pragmatism over Perfection
The phrase implies a pragmatic approach, where the goal is to achieve a result, not necessarily a perfect one. One will accept either the ideal outcome (a 'shaft') or a less elegant but still serviceable one (a 'bolt').
Historical Archery Imagery
The proverb draws its power from the common, tangible imagery of archery. A 'shaft' was a long, slender arrow for a longbow, often requiring skill to make, while a 'bolt' was a shorter, cruder projectile for a crossbow. This distinction between a refined and a makeshift outcome would have been immediately understood in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Psychology of Resolution
Psychologically, the proverb captures the human desire to resolve ambiguity and uncertainty. It expresses a commitment to action over passivity, reflecting a mindset that prefers any outcome—even an imperfect one ('a bolt')—to a state of prolonged indecision or inaction.
The Elizabethan Spirit of Action
The proverb's frequent use by Elizabethan and Jacobean writers, including Shakespeare ('tis but venturing!'), reflects the era's spirit of enterprise and risk-taking. It encapsulates a pragmatic, decisive attitude toward challenges, whether in personal affairs or grander ventures.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The entire phrase is a metaphor, where the physical act of crafting a projectile represents the abstract process of resolving a complex situation or making a difficult decision.
Juxtaposition
The proverb juxtaposes 'shaft' and 'bolt' to create a subtle contrast between an ideal, well-crafted outcome and a cruder, more functional one, thereby encompassing the full range of possible results.
Idiomatic Expression
The phrase functions as a concise, memorable idiom for undertaking a decisive, risky course of action, encapsulating a complex idea in a simple, tangible image.
Transcription
Quotations
To make a shaft or a bolt of this drumbling subject of dreames.
I'll quickly make a bolt or a shaft on't.
(He will make).
The Prince is preparing for his journey; I shall to it again closely when he is gone, or make a shaft or a bolt of it.
I'le make either bolt or shaft of it.
(Ile quickly make).
To come off one way or other, by hook or by crook, to make a shot or a bolt on't.
To make a bolt or a shaft of a thing.
I'le make either bolt or shaft of it.
Since my Life's at stake, I'm resolv'd to make a Bolt or a Shaft on't.
Shakespeare Citations
I'll make a shaft or a bolt on't. 'Slid, 'tis but venturing!
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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