--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is honourable, as you say; and…" description: "\"Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?\" — William Congreve" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png" --- # Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore… ![“Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?” quote by William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png) > “Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?” [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker questions why a socially condemned condition (cuckoldry) should be stigmatized when it stems from the institution of marriage, which is deemed honorable. **In simple terms:** Challenges the stigma of infidelity within marriage. Key Takeaway Stigma can be unjustified when tied to respectable institutions. Themes marriage honor stigma infidelity social norms Mood ironic critical Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - marital counseling - literary analysis - cultural debate Key Concepts social criticism moral paradox Practical Applications - sociology research - ethical discussions Questions to Reflect On - Why do we label certain outcomes as disgraceful despite their origins? - How does language shape our moral judgments? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adultery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adultery/) [Cuckoldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuckoldom-769403/) [Cuckoldom Discredit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuckoldom-discredit-769402/) [Discredit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discredit/) [Honourable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honourable/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage Honourable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-honourable-769401/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Wherefore Cuckoldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wherefore-cuckoldom-769404/) ## Related quotes > [Dancing begets warmth, which is the parent of wantonness. It is, Sir, the great grandfather of cuckoldom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/dancing-begets-warmth-which-is-the-parent-of-wantonness-it-is-sir-the/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/marriage-is-honourable-in-all-and-the-bed-undefiled-but-whoremongers/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Age is honourable and youth is noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irish-proverb/age-is-honourable-and-youth-is-noble/) [Irish Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irish-proverb/) > [“As for men, they must learn bravery and live for Pleasure and for Beauty. More important than those two things should stand only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/as-for-men-they-must-learn-bravery-and-live-for-pleasure-and-for/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Why, anything; An honourable murderer, if you will; For naught did I in hate, but all in honour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-anything-an-honourable-murderer-if-you-will-for-naught-did-i-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [His designs were strictly honourable, as the phrase is; that is, to rob a lady of her fortune by way of marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/his-designs-were-strictly-honourable-as-the-phrase-is-that-is-to-rob/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“What is holy is Honourable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-is-holy-is-honourable/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [It is better to be honourable than be honoured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiv-khera/it-is-better-to-be-honourable-than-be-honoured/) [Shiv Khera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiv-khera/) > [I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-m-not-saying-that-everything-i-did-was-right-but-everything-i-did/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Every post is honourable in which a man can serve his country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/every-post-is-honourable-in-which-a-man-can-serve-his-country/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Women are much more honourable than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/women-are-much-more-honourable-than-men/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [“Here people was once used to be honourable: now they are all bad; they have kept one goodness: that they are greatest boozers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-polo/here-people-was-once-used-to-be-honourable-now-they-are-all-bad-they/) [Marco Polo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-polo/) > [“Every country is a battlefield for the struggle between honest and dishonest, between honourable and honourless people! At the end, the character of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-country-is-a-battlefield-for-the-struggle-between-honest-and/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Sometimes I wonder if people realise how beautiful and honourable I find it to play for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memphis-depay/sometimes-i-wonder-if-people-realise-how-beautiful-and-honourable-i/) [Memphis Depay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memphis-depay/) > [And I shall always hold myself more obliged to those by whose favour I enjoy uninterrupted leisure than to any who might offer me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/and-i-shall-always-hold-myself-more-obliged-to-those-by-whose-favour/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) ## More by William Congreve > [Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/mr-witwould-pray-madam-do-you-pin-up-your-hair-with-all-your-letters/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/he-who-closes-his-ears-to-the-views-of-others-shows-little-confidence/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing, through the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/uncertainty-and-expectation-are-the-joys-of-life-security-is-an/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“One no more owes one's beauty to a lover than one's wit to an echo”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/one-no-more-owes-one-s-beauty-to-a-lover-than-one-s-wit-to-an-echo/) [william congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-confess-freely-to-you-i-could-never-look-long-upon-a-monkey-without/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-no-more-be-sincere-than-a-woman-constant-one-argues-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/they-are-at-the-end-of-the-gallery-retired-to-their-tea-and-scandal/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There is in true Beauty, as in Courage, somewhat which narrow Souls cannot dare to admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/there-is-in-true-beauty-as-in-courage-somewhat-which-narrow-souls/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I am a fool, I know it; and yet, Heaven help me, I'm poor enough to be a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-am-a-fool-i-know-it-and-yet-heaven-help-me-i-m-poor-enough-to-be-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/there-is-nothing-more-unbecoming-a-man-of-quality-than-to-laugh-tis/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Honor is a public enemy, and conscience a domestic, and he that would secure his pleasure, must pay a tribute to one and go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/honor-is-a-public-enemy-and-conscience-a-domestic-and-he-that-would/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“True, 'tis an unhappy circumstance of life that love should ever die before us, and that the man so often should outlive the lover.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/true-tis-an-unhappy-circumstance-of-life-that-love-should-ever-die/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Believe it, Men have ever been the same, And all the Golden Age is but a Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/believe-it-men-have-ever-been-the-same-and-all-the-golden-age-is-but/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [She likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/she-likes-herself-yet-others-hates-for-that-which-in-herself-she/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt, or of ill breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-always-take-blushing-either-for-a-sign-of-guilt-or-of-ill-breeding/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) [Explore all 103 William Congreve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) ## More Adultery quotes > [A hundred years ago Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter was given an A for adultery; today she would rate no better than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/a-hundred-years-ago-hester-prynne-of-the-scarlet-letter-was-given-an/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [“Reality has a way of bursting the bubble of illusion, and an affair is one of the biggest illusions that anyone can experience in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-has-a-way-of-bursting-the-bubble-of-illusion-and-an-affair-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once a cheater always remain's a cheater, if you love your partner, why cheat? That dosent makes any sense, that can tell that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittannia-calder/once-a-cheater-always-remain-s-a-cheater-if-you-love-your-partner-why/) [Brittannia Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittannia-calder/) > [L'adulte' re introduit l'esprit dans la lettre quebien souvent le mariage e u" t laisse e morte. Adultery breathes new life into marriages which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/l-adulte-re-introduit-l-esprit-dans-la-lettre-quebien-souvent-le/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“I shan't make a fuss over the babe's father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-e-pearson/i-shan-t-make-a-fuss-over-the-babe-s-father/) [Mary E. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-e-pearson/) > [When adultery walks in, everything worth having walks out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-m-kroll/when-adultery-walks-in-everything-worth-having-walks-out/) [Woodrow M. Kroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-m-kroll/) > [Splendid couple - slept with both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-bowra/splendid-couple-slept-with-both-of-them/) [Maurice Bowra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-bowra/) > [“I was thinking of murder, mutilation and dessert like Ignacia Sandoval’s instructions for delectable empanadas made of minced mother-in-law’s tongue (said to induce peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-ramos-o-briant/i-was-thinking-of-murder-mutilation-and-dessert-like-ignacia-sandoval/) [Sandra Ramos O'Briant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-ramos-o-briant/) > [Adultery is an image of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/adultery-is-an-image-of-hell/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [Adolescence: A stage between infancy and adultery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/adolescence-a-stage-between-infancy-and-adultery/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if it has its own way it will go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/sin-aims-always-at-the-utmost-every-time-it-rises-up-to-tempt-or/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“Next to Joel on the beach was Martha. Two years back in time she had been Joel’s bimbo. That’s because Joel was still married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-deck/next-to-joel-on-the-beach-was-martha-two-years-back-in-time-she-had/) [Stephen Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-deck/) > [Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods all things which are disreputable and worthy of blame when done by men; and they told of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophanes/homer-and-hesiod-attributed-to-the-gods-all-things-which-are/) [Xenophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophanes/) > [I was growing tired of all the fussing and prevaricating, of the stolen hours and the secret rendez-vous; of the small indignities and broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-baum/i-was-growing-tired-of-all-the-fussing-and-prevaricating-of-the/) [Vicki Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-baum/) > [According to my sister Jackie, most men stray. And sex doesn't mean anything to most men. But I wouldn't date a man who slept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/according-to-my-sister-jackie-most-men-stray-and-sex-doesn-t-mean/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) [Browse all 426 Adultery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adultery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Congreve" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adultery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-congreve-5161_adultery_marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if_55191.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from…” — William Congreve", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Congreve", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Marriage is honourable, as you say;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```