--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What, man, defy the devil. Consider, he's…" description: "\"What, man, defy the devil. Consider, he's an enemy to mankind.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/william-shakespeare-4_devil_what-man-defy-the-devil-consider-he-s-an_659853.jpg" --- # What, man, defy the devil. Consider, he's an enemy to… ![“What, man, defy the devil. Consider, he's an enemy to mankind.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/william-shakespeare-4_devil_what-man-defy-the-devil-consider-he-s-an_659853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/william-shakespeare-4_devil_what-man-defy-the-devil-consider-he-s-an_659853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/william-shakespeare-4_devil_what-man-defy-the-devil-consider-he-s-an_659853.jpg) > “What, man, defy the devil. Consider, he's an enemy to mankind.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defying evil is futile because evil opposes humanity. **In simple terms:** Opposing evil is pointless. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of fighting evil. Themes evil humanity defiance philosophy Mood cautionary thoughtful Type ethical literary When to use this quote - political activism - personal struggles - social movements Key Concepts moral philosophy human nature conflict Questions to Reflect On - Is all resistance useless? - When is confronting evil necessary? A Different Perspective Evil may be overcome with collective effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) ## Related quotes > [Deny the world, defy the devil, despise the flesh, and delight yourself only in the Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-jane-grey/deny-the-world-defy-the-devil-despise-the-flesh-and-delight-yourself/) [Lady Jane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-jane-grey/) > [Superstition originates among ordinary people in the early and all too zealous instruction they receive in religion: they hear of mysteries, miracles, deeds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/superstition-originates-among-ordinary-people-in-the-early-and-all/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [The Brother's eyes narrowed. "But here's something to keep in mind. You ever hurt him on purpose and I will consider you my enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-brother-s-eyes-narrowed-but-here-s-something-to-keep-in-mind-you/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [If I wish to wrest an advantage from the enemy, I must not fix my mind on that alone, but allow for the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/du-mu/if-i-wish-to-wrest-an-advantage-from-the-enemy-i-must-not-fix-my-mind/) [Du Mu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/du-mu/) > [Consider an enemy may become a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/consider-an-enemy-may-become-a-friend/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It is enough for me to hear someone talk sincerely about ideals, about the future, about philosophy, to hear him say “we" with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-enough-for-me-to-hear-someone-talk-sincerely-about-ideals-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The U.S. is the great enemy of mankind! Against those hyenas there is no option but extermination! If the nuclear missiles had remained (in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/the-u-s-is-the-great-enemy-of-mankind-against-those-hyenas-there-is/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Religion is the worst enemy of mankind. No single war in the history of humanity has killed as many people as religion has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/religion-is-the-worst-enemy-of-mankind-no-single-war-in-the-history/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [“It is hardly surprising that the harbinger of God's love has been accused of hatred of the human race. Who has a right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/it-is-hardly-surprising-that-the-harbinger-of-god-s-love-has-been/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [The greatest enemy of mankind is his ignorance of the inherent money power in all of us. When the realization of this comes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-riegel/the-greatest-enemy-of-mankind-is-his-ignorance-of-the-inherent-money/) [E.C. Riegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-riegel/) > [Any power must be an enemy of mankind which enslaves the individual by terror and force, whether it arises under the Fascist or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/any-power-must-be-an-enemy-of-mankind-which-enslaves-the-individual-2/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ \[But\] age, the common enemy of mankind, has laid his hand upon you; would that it had fallen upon some other, and that you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/but-age-the-common-enemy-of-mankind-has-laid-his-hand-upon-you-would/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [War is the enemy of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-starr/war-is-the-enemy-of-all-mankind/) [Edwin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-starr/) > [Any power must be an enemy of mankind which enslaves the individual by power and by force, whether it arises under the Fascist or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/any-power-must-be-an-enemy-of-mankind-which-enslaves-the-individual/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What, man, defy the devil. 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