THE DEVIL. by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
The Devil appears not as a horned beast but as a typical, self-important businessman — and that’s the crux of the matter.
The poem
1. The Devil, I safely can aver, Has neither hoof, nor tail, nor sting; Nor is he, as some sages swear, A spirit, neither here nor there, In nothing—yet in everything. _80 2. He is—what we are; for sometimes The Devil is a gentleman; At others a bard bartering rhymes For sack; a statesman spinning crimes; A swindler, living as he can; _85 3. A thief, who cometh in the night, With whole boots and net pantaloons, Like some one whom it were not right To mention;—or the luckless wight From whom he steals nine silver spoons. _90 4. But in this case he did appear Like a slop-merchant from Wapping, And with smug face, and eye severe, On every side did perk and peer Till he saw Peter dead or napping. _95 5. He had on an upper Benjamin (For he was of the driving schism) In the which he wrapped his skin From the storm he travelled in, For fear of rheumatism. _100 6. He called the ghost out of the corse;— It was exceedingly like Peter,— Only its voice was hollow and hoarse— It had a queerish look of course— Its dress too was a little neater. _105 7. The Devil knew not his name and lot; Peter knew not that he was Bell: Each had an upper stream of thought, Which made all seem as it was not; Fitting itself to all things well. _110 8. Peter thought he had parents dear, Brothers, sisters, cousins, cronies, In the fens of Lincolnshire; He perhaps had found them there Had he gone and boldly shown his _115 9. Solemn phiz in his own village; Where he thought oft when a boy He’d clomb the orchard walls to pillage The produce of his neighbour’s tillage, With marvellous pride and joy. _120 10. And the Devil thought he had, ‘Mid the misery and confusion Of an unjust war, just made A fortune by the gainful trade Of giving soldiers rations bad— _125 The world is full of strange delusion— 11. That he had a mansion planned In a square like Grosvenor Square, That he was aping fashion, and That he now came to Westmoreland _130 To see what was romantic there. 12. And all this, though quite ideal,— Ready at a breath to vanish,— Was a state not more unreal Than the peace he could not feel, _135 Or the care he could not banish. 13. After a little conversation, The Devil told Peter, if he chose, He’d bring him to the world of fashion By giving him a situation _140 In his own service—and new clothes. 14. And Peter bowed, quite pleased and proud, And after waiting some few days For a new livery—dirty yellow Turned up with black—the wretched fellow _145 Was bowled to Hell in the Devil’s chaise.
The Devil appears not as a horned beast but as a typical, self-important businessman — and that’s the crux of the matter. He entices a man named Peter with a job offer and a new suit, and Peter, feeling flattered and oblivious, hops into a ride that leads him straight to Hell. Shelley suggests that evil isn’t flashy or otherworldly; it’s the common greed, vanity, and self-deception that people often confuse for ordinary life.
Line-by-line
The Devil, I safely can aver, / Has neither hoof, nor tail, nor sting;
He is—what we are; for sometimes / The Devil is a gentleman;
A thief, who cometh in the night, / With whole boots and net pantaloons,
But in this case he did appear / Like a slop-merchant from Wapping,
He had on an upper Benjamin / (For he was of the driving schism)
He called the ghost out of the corse;— / It was exceedingly like Peter,—
The Devil knew not his name and lot; / Peter knew not that he was Bell:
Peter thought he had parents dear, / Brothers, sisters, cousins, cronies,
Solemn phiz in his own village; / Where he thought oft when a boy
And the Devil thought he had, / 'Mid the misery and confusion
That he had a mansion planned / In a square like Grosvenor Square,
And all this, though quite ideal,— / Ready at a breath to vanish,—
After a little conversation, / The Devil told Peter, if he chose,
And Peter bowed, quite pleased and proud, / And after waiting some few days
Tone & mood
Satirical and darkly comic throughout, the writing has a light, almost breezy surface that makes the underlying bleakness hit harder. Shelley writes with the confidence of someone in on a private joke at society's expense. The rhymes are lively, and the imagery is intentionally ordinary—overcoats, spoons, livery uniforms—keeping the tone closer to a sharp sketch than a sermon. Beneath the wit lies a real contempt for war profiteers, social climbers, and anyone willing to trade their soul for a better coat.
Symbols & metaphors
- The Devil's overcoat (Benjamin) — The Devil's stylish overcoat shows that the evil in this poem is grounded in reality, not just myth. He frets about rheumatism like anyone else, which is precisely what makes him so dangerous — he blends in with the respectable people around him.
- The livery (dirty yellow turned up with black) — The uniform that Peter gets before being taken to Hell is the poem's strongest symbol. Yellow and black represent disease, decay, and death. By putting on the uniform, Peter embraces a new identity — he literally dresses in damnation, thinking it's a promotion.
- The ghost — Peter's ghost closely resembles Peter, but with a hollow voice and tidier clothes. It symbolizes the self without any illusions — and the similarity to the living man hints that Peter was already half-dead, already empty, before the Devil showed up.
- The upper stream of thought — Shelley's phrase captures the mental filter that both Peter and the Devil use to shape reality into something more palatable. It symbolizes self-deception as a common human trait — the way ordinary people can commit terrible acts while convincing themselves that everything is okay.
- Grosvenor Square mansion — The Devil's dream of a prestigious London address highlights the empty ambitions of the newly wealthy — war profiteers and social climbers who confuse status with true significance. It stands as a reminder of the hollowness at the core of social aspiration.
- The Devil's chaise — The carriage that takes Peter to Hell is just a regular vehicle — a rented coach, not something out of a fantasy. Damnation comes as a regular trip, which is Shelley's ultimate punchline: the road to Hell is simply the same path everyone else is already on.
Historical context
Shelley wrote this poem for *Peter Bell the Third* (1819), a satirical take on William Wordsworth's *Peter Bell* and a parody of the Romantic idealization of nature and sincerity. By 1819, Shelley was living in exile in Italy, feeling increasingly disillusioned with English politics and society after the Napoleonic Wars. This period was marked by war profiteering, political repression, and social climbing among the newly wealthy merchant class—all things Shelley loathed. His Devil reflects that world: a slop-merchant, a contractor providing bad rations, a man who mimics the respectability of Grosvenor Square. The poem belongs to a long line of literary devils, from Milton's Satan to folk ballads, but Shelley removes all the grandeur, revealing something much more familiar and, as he suggests, much more dangerous.
FAQ
It's a satirical take on the Devil, depicting him as just another self-important individual — a war profiteer, a social climber, and a petty merchant. Shelley argues that true evil isn’t from some supernatural realm; it’s the greed, vanity, and self-deception that we often see in everyday life. The poem concludes with a man named Peter who takes a job from this Devil, blissfully unaware as he gets driven to Hell, too flattered by the offer to realize what he’s signed up for.
It's an excerpt from *Peter Bell the Third* (1819), which is a satirical poem divided into seven parts. Shelley created it as a parody of William Wordsworth's *Peter Bell* and as a commentary on English society, politics, and what he perceived as the corruption of the Romantic movement.
Peter represents a typical, ordinary person who deceives himself. In the larger context of *Peter Bell the Third*, he also serves as a satirical depiction of Wordsworth, who Shelley believed compromised his radical ideals for the sake of respectability. Here, he's shown as a man whose identity relies on nostalgic fantasies, making him an easy target for the Devil's tempting job offer.
Everything. The Devil wears a practical overcoat and frets about rheumatism — he’s suited for the real world, not for mythology. Later, the uniform he gives Peter is a grimy yellow and black, reflecting the shades of disease and death. Shelley uses clothing throughout the poem to signal social ambition and moral decay.
It's his way of describing the mental filter that allows people to reshape reality into a more appealing version. Both Peter and the Devil have this filter: Peter envisions a loving family in Lincolnshire that might not be real; the Devil thinks he earned his wealth honestly, even though he sold poor-quality food to soldiers during a war. Shelley implies that self-deception is what enables evil to thrive and feel comfortable.
A slop-merchant sold inexpensive, ready-made clothing — the fast fashion of the early 19th century. Wapping was a working-class dockside neighborhood in London. By portraying the Devil as a minor commercial figure from a low-status area who is eager to improve his social standing, Shelley suggests that the most insidious evil often disguises itself as everyday ambition.
Deeply hostile. The Devil's fortune arises from providing soldiers with poor rations during 'an unjust war' — a nod to the Napoleonic Wars and the profiteering they allowed. Shelley doesn't dwell on the battlefield; he highlights the men who profited from it and then spent their wealth to gain social respectability. For him, that's where the true crime lies.
It's Romantic in its politics and its anger — Shelley's rage against injustice, hypocrisy, and the disparity between appearances and reality embodies the true Romantic spirit. What he's ridiculing is the *comfortable* take on Romanticism: the escape into nature poetry and nostalgia that he believed Wordsworth used to dodge real-world engagement.