"Good marriages are made in heaven. Or some such place"

Robert Bolt’s expression, “Good marriages are made in heaven. Or some such place,” walks a fine line between sincerity and skepticism. On the surface, the idea that marriages are “made in heaven” echoes a long-held romantic ideal: that the union of two people happens by fate, destiny, or divine orchestration. There’s an almost fairy-tale enchantment in believing that forces larger than the couple themselves decide who belongs together, bestowing upon “good” marriages a sense of rarity and sacredness that places them beyond the mundane decisions and accidents of daily life.

Yet the phrase that follows, “Or some such place”, undercuts the grandeur of the initial assertion. It introduces a note of irony or doubt, gently poking at the seriousness of the “made in heaven” sentiment. This addendum suggests that the notion of heavenly matchmaking might be more myth than fact, an exaggeration born of wishful thinking or cultural narratives rather than hard evidence. Bolt seems to imply that while people might love to believe in miracles and destiny when it comes to love, the actual origins of strong marriages may be humbler, perhaps even random, pragmatic, or rooted in the everyday realities of human connection.

By juxtaposing the idealistic with the tongue-in-cheek, Bolt balances hope with realism. There is room in his perspective for the view that good marriages can indeed feel wondrous or extraordinary, almost as though they’ve been ordained, but also that they may arise from compromise, effort, and serendipity. Amidst the romance, partnerships are built, not merely bestowed. The phrase acknowledges both the magic and the work that underlies a successful relationship, inviting readers to hold both possibilities in mind: that love may feel heavenly, but consistently good marriages are as much a product of human endeavor as they are of mythic intervention. In the end, the quote elegantly captures the tension between belief in destiny and recognition of our own roles as creators of our happiness.