FEW take wives for God's sake or for fair looks

Insights

Pragmatism in Marriage

Suggests that most marriages are driven by practical, economic, or social considerations, rather than by idealism, piety, or mere attraction.

Disillusionment with Ideals

Exposes the gap between professed ideals (religion or beauty) and real motives, indicating a worldlier, perhaps more cynical, understanding of human relationships.

Human Self-Interest

Highlights the underlying self-interest and calculation that often govern significant life decisions, such as marriage.

Historical Social Commentary

The proverb reflects early modern skepticism about the motivations for marriage, critiquing both social ambition and the declining influence of religious ideals in personal affairs.

Gender and Economic Realities

Alludes to the economic and social strategies embedded in marriage, especially in societies where alliances, dowries, and inheritance often outweighed spiritual or romantic motives.

Counterpoint to Idealism

Functions as a counterpoint to proverbs like 'Who is born fair is born married,' reminding us that beauty and virtue are rarely the sole factors in real-world matchmaking.

Rhetorical Devices

Antithesis

Juxtaposes religious and aesthetic motives ('God's sake' and 'fair looks') with the implied reality of more worldly concerns, sharpening the proverb’s irony.

Enumeration

The listing of two supposed motives underscores their rarity and frames them as exceptions to the rule.

Colloquial Skepticism

The casual, matter-of-fact tone imparts a skeptical, almost wry, wisdom typical of folk and early modern proverbial speech.