Where does the quote Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war come from? A Comprehensive Guide

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The military order Havoc! was a signal given to the English military forces in the Middle Ages to direct the soldiery (in Shakespeares parlance the dogs of war) to pillage and chaos.

The let slip is an allusion to the slip collars that were used to restrain dogs and were easily let slip to allow the dogs to run and hunt.

Explore Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war

Literally, the quote suggests that the “dogs of war,” or dogs trained for warfare, should be let loose on their enemies. But, “dogs” is used as a metaphor for the broader chaos and death that Antony is going to encourage.

War is personified in this quote in a way that should be familiar to readers of Shakespeare’s works.

Antony uses the line as an expression of passion. It conveys his anger over his friend’s death as well as a suggestion of what he wants to happen next. It’s believed that William Shakespeare took this quote from The Life of Marcus Brutus, part of Plutarch’s Lives of Noble Greeks and Romans.

Havoc: destructive chaos. The word “havoc” was used as a military signal in the Middle Ages to signal that the soldiers can pillage, or take and destroy whatever they want.

“Dogs of War:” literally— dogs trained for war that are let off their leashes. Figuratively- any destructive force that can be let loose.

‘Cry Havoc’ speech, spoken by Antony, Act 3 Scene 1

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever livèd in the tide of times. Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! Over thy wounds now do I prophesy— Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue— A curse shall light upon the limbs of men. Domestic fury and fierce civil strife Shall cumber all the parts of Italy. Blood and destruction shall be so in use, And dreadful objects so familiar, That mothers shall but smile when they behold Their infants quartered with the hands of war, All pity choked with custom of fell deeds, And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial.

“Cry Havoc, Let slip the dogs of war!” Julius Cesar 1953 HD Scene

Have you ever heard someone use the term ‘cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war’ and wondered what it means? We are going to look at why we use this saying and how to use it in a conversation, as well as where the term came from in the first place.