WOO, wed, and bed (wear) her

Insights

Formula for Conquest

The proverb functions as a formula for patriarchal conquest, reducing a woman to an object to be won and possessed. The sequence implies a transactional process where courtship is a means to a final goal of ownership and sexual consummation.

Objectification and Possession

It metaphorically represents the reduction of a complex human relationship to a series of goal-oriented actions. The woman is depicted as a passive prize, erasing her subjectivity and agency in the courtship and marriage process.

Male Agency and Female Passivity

The phrase underscores a social structure where male action is the driving force in relationships. The verbs are all active and performed by an implicit male subject, while the woman ('her') is the passive recipient, reflecting a deeply ingrained gender hierarchy.

Marriage as Social Display

The inclusion of 'wear' in the proverb is historically significant, framing a wife as a status symbol or an ornamental possession, much like fine clothing or a jewel. This reflects the patriarchal values of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, where a man's social standing was enhanced by the wife he 'wore', linking marriage directly to the acquisition and display of property.

Literary and Dramatic Trope

Prominently featured in works by Shakespeare, Jonson, and other Renaissance playwrights, this proverb encapsulates a transactional and cynical view of courtship common in the literature of the period. It often serves as a shorthand for a pragmatic, rather than romantic, approach to marriage, emphasizing conquest and consummation as the primary goals.

Psychology of Conquest

The proverb reveals a psychological framework of male entitlement and objectification. The progression from 'woo' to 'bed' is presented as a natural, almost inevitable sequence, minimizing the woman's agency and reducing the complex process of relationship-building to a formula for sexual and social conquest.

Rhetorical Devices

Alliteration

The repetition of the 'w' sound in 'woo, wed, and wear' creates a memorable, rhythmic, and forceful cadence that reinforces the sense of an inevitable and smooth progression of actions.

Tricolon / Asyndeton

The proverb is structured as a tricolon (a series of three parallel items). This, combined with the lack of conjunctions (asyndeton), creates a swift, commanding, and prescriptive tone.

Metaphor

The use of the verb 'wear' is a powerful metaphor that equates a woman with a piece of property or an article of clothing that can be won and displayed to signify status.