Meaning & Analysis
As a rhetorical question, the proverb asserts that money (or gold) is capable of achieving almost anything, implying that there are no obstacles or problems that cannot be overcome with sufficient wealth.
Insights
The Omnipotence of Wealth
Money is metaphorically presented as an omnipotent, almost divine force, capable of bending reality, overriding rules, and fulfilling any desire, thus becoming the ultimate source of worldly power.
Corruption and Influence
The proverb implies that wealth has a universal corrupting influence, capable of breaking laws, swaying justice, and dissolving moral principles. It suggests that everything and everyone has a price.
The Commodification of Values
It cynically suggests that all human and societal values—such as love, honor, and loyalty—can be reduced to a monetary equivalent, making them transactional commodities rather than intrinsic virtues.
Wealth as the Ultimate Tool
The proverb can be seen as a statement on ambition, suggesting that the acquisition of wealth is the most effective, if not the only, means to achieve one's goals and overcome societal limitations.
Historical Symbolism of Gold
The proverb taps into the historical symbolism of gold as the ultimate measure of worldly power and influence, a concept with deep roots in classical antiquity, as evidenced by the Latin phrase 'quid non pecunia?' (what can money not do?) found in the quotations.
Literary and Cultural Resonance
This theme is a timeless literary trope, central to cautionary tales from King Midas to 'The Great Gatsby', reflecting a persistent cultural fascination with and anxiety about the corrupting influence of wealth.
Psychological Cynicism
The rhetorical question reveals a cynical psychological perspective on human nature, suggesting that motivations are fundamentally transactional and that morality, loyalty, and justice are commodities that can be bought.
Socio-Economic Critique
As a form of social commentary, the proverb critiques systems where economic power translates directly into political and social control, highlighting the erosion of ethical standards in the face of immense wealth.
Rhetorical Devices
Rhetorical Question
The proverb's structure as a rhetorical question is its most powerful feature, as it is not seeking an answer but making an emphatic, unchallengeable assertion about money's limitless power.
Hyperbole
The claim that money can do anything is an intentional exaggeration (hyperbole) used to emphasize the vast and often overwhelming extent of its influence in human affairs.
Symbolism
'Money' and 'gold' function as powerful symbols representing not just currency but the entire spectrum of wealth, status, worldly power, and human ambition.
Transcription
Quotations
A syr, here is short knowledge to entertaine a king, But O, O, quid non pecunia?
But briefe to bee, what can you craue, That now for Golde you may not haue?
As the saying is, quid non pecunia potest: What is it but money will bring to passe?
Lord, Lord, to see, What money can doe!
What cannot gold doe?
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.