Shouldn’t “if pleasure be happiness” be written “if pleasure would be happiness”?

Question

Why is there a simple form “be” after the subject in the following sentence? Isn't it that it should be like 'if pleasure would be happiness'?

My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness.

This is from a short story, The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/11554/why-would-the-author-write-and-happy-indeed-i-was-instead-of-and-i-was-happy — Michael Login, Aug 19 '19 at 11:18
Possible duplicate of Why would the author write 'and happy indeed I was' instead of 'and I was happy indeed' in this passage? — Ron Jensen, Aug 23 '19 at 02:48

ctl · Answer 1 · 2021-06-08T16:42:37.753

2

This use of be after if is grammatical here, but it's quite old-fashioned. You might occasionally hear it today, but probably as an affectation or in certain set phrases. This use, which most would call a subjunctive, is also often called irrealis. You'll find the same be after whether, where (to my ear, at least) it sounds less artificial: The city seamlessly combines new with old, whether it be its architecture, cuisine or culture (from www.hotelschart.com).

See Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 278-280

edited Jun 08 '21 at 16:42

answered Jun 07 '21 at 20:28

ctl

76
3

+1 Your answer could be much improved by providing sources which are more official or reliable. – fev Jun 07 '21 at 21:03
Reference added. – ctl Jun 08 '21 at 16:43

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 07 '21 at 20:14

Contemporary English speakers use the words "is" and "are" instead of "be"

Sentence	Analysis
I was happy, if pleasure is happiness.	Someone who speaks English today might use the sentence shown at left.
I was happy, if pleasure be happiness.	Very old-fashioned.

Oscar Wilde used the word "be" instead of "is" to show that the prince is an aristocrat.

Aristocrats and pirates never use the word "is" or "are"
Aristocrats and pirates always say "be"

Contemporary English	Old English from the 1700s
pirates are able to operate with utter impunity in the gulf of Mexico.	pirates be able to operate with utter impunity in the gulf of Mexico.
Poverty, high youth unemployment and lack of education are driving factors in piracy	Poverty, high youth unemployment and lack of education be driving factors in piracy
Nigeria's Navy is woefully underfunded.	Nigeria's Navy be woefully underfunded.
The pirate crews are often made up of former pipeline saboteurs	The pirate crews be often made up of former pipeline saboteurs
The pirate said, "his life is immaterial"	The pirate said, "his life be immaterial"
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is an extension of the organized oil crime on land	Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea be an extension of the organized oil crime on land
The incident is kind of unusual	The incident be kind of unusual
The Nigerian pirates have so far focused on kidnapping crew members rather than the vessels. While the ransoms are lower, they are easier to manage than ships.	The Nigerian pirates have so far focused on kidnapping crew members rather than the vessels. While the ransoms be lower, they be easier to manage than ships.

Shouldn’t “if pleasure be happiness” be written “if pleasure would be happiness”?

2 Answers2

Oscar Wilde was trying to make the prince sound like a gentleman