Meaning & Analysis
The physical light of the sun is not contaminated, diminished, or made impure by illuminating something foul or dirty, such as a pile of manure.
Insights
Inherent Virtue
A truly virtuous, noble, or pure person is not morally tainted or corrupted by contact with vice, depravity, or unsavory situations. Their inherent goodness remains intact regardless of their surroundings.
Objective Truth and Goodness
Truth, knowledge, and goodness are objective and universal forces that shine upon everything without discrimination. Their value is not lessened by being applied to or examining unpleasant subjects.
Resilience of Character
This proverb champions the strength and resilience of a person's character. It suggests that deep-seated integrity and a strong moral compass can withstand exposure to negative influences without being compromised.
Historical Symbolism
The proverb draws on the ancient and powerful symbolism of the sun as a divine, pure, and incorruptible force. In many cultures, the sun represents truth, enlightenment, and divinity, while the dunghill symbolizes decay, corruption, and the profane. The proverb's power lies in this stark juxtaposition.
Philosophical and Theological Roots
The concept is linked to classical philosophy, with one 1581 quotation attributing it to Diogenes the Cynic. It also resonates with theological ideas, as seen in the 1633 quotation's allusion to the biblical passage, 'unto the pure all things are pure' (Titus 1:15), framing virtue as an internal state impervious to external corruption.
Psychological Resilience
The proverb serves as a psychological defense against the idea of 'moral contagion'—the fear that associating with the impure or corrupt will tarnish one's own character. It asserts the resilience of a strong moral identity, suggesting that true virtue is not compromised by its environment.
Literary Resonance
Shakespeare's use in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' provides a notable literary context. Falstaff, a morally base character, ironically applies the proverb to himself, suggesting that a lady's glance (the sun) has graced him (the dunghill), showcasing the proverb's adaptability in exploring character and perception.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
The proverb's primary impact comes from the powerful juxtaposition of the 'sun' (representing purity, divinity, and light) and the 'dunghill' (representing filth, corruption, and decay).
Symbolism
The entire meaning is conveyed through symbolism, where the sun and dunghill are not literal objects but stand for abstract concepts of incorruptible good and worldly corruption, respectively.
Personification
The phrasing 'never the worse for' subtly personifies the sun, giving it a sense of agency and unwavering character, thereby strengthening the metaphorical connection to human virtue.
Transcription
Quotations
The Sun shineth vppon the dungehill, and is not corrupted.
A bright Sunne shineth in euery corner, which maketh not the beames worse, but the place better.
The Sunne (sayth hee [Diogenes]) shyneth and spreadeth its beames on uncleane places, and yet never defileth it selfe.
But those vnspotted eyes [of Christ] encountred mine, As spotlesses sunne doth on the dunghill shine.
Of the nature of the sun, which passeth through pollutions and itself remains as pure as before.
If any here reply . . That the Sunne shines on a dung-hill, and yet its beames are not defiled by it . . for unto the pure all things are pure.
The sun is never defiled.
Shakespeare Citations
Sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly. —Then did the sun on dunghill shine.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.