Download - When We Talk About Great Love Plays
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Gergana Ivanova Tyaneva
A.Hickman
ENG388
Papers 1&2
Romeo and Juliet-a story of choices and fate.
When we talk about great love plays, we usually talk about Romeo and Juliet. A
play written by Shakespeare in 1595 , which is jumping across the time and cultures and is
applicable for any historical time and any type of situation. The plot is simple boy meets
girl, girl meets boy, they fell in love from first sight and than they realize that their love is
not allowed and doomed. Thus they decide to fight against the obstacles, try to save their
romance and experience their love to the fullest extent. This story is well-known and
intimate to every human being. Shakespearean play could be easily staged in infinite ways
and thus it is what makes it universal and understandable to the mass of the people .The
tale of the two lovers could be seen as the love between a black guy and a white girl, rich
girl and poor boy, Muslim woman and catholic man, communist and capitalist, model and a
geek. Everyone wants to believe in the existence of impossible love and quite often it
happens and ends with and they lived happily ever after. That sentimental
understanding of Romeo and Juliet made it so popular and even tough a lot of other great
stories have involved the theme of the forbidden love , this play is the pattern on which all
the further are build. Even though the love is one of the main ingredients of this play,
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Shakespeare put much more flavor into it, than just leaving the straight line of the love
story .In contrast to the Hollywood movies, which usually end with a happy end for the
struggling couple, Shakespeare left a pile of dead bodies, in the end of this
comedy/tragedy. Somehow here it is where this story leaves its sugar lovely line and goes
in deeper meaning. In the end there is that sour feeling that great love left dead and sorrow
afterwards, just to give a lesson to two rivalry families. It is perplexing because the idea
that their great love overcomes everything is lost somewhere between the dead bodies of
Romeo and Juliet. There is something else there, because if that was what Shakespeare
wanted to tell to its readers, he would have left Romeo and Juliet live and love each other.
Thus Romeo and Juliet is much more complicated as a meaning that its initial sugar
feeling. It is a play that talks for the unknown patters of fate as much as it points out the
human mistakes, which were equally faulty for the tragic end of the couple. Because fate is
an abstract term, every person builds its own fate with the different choices he or she
makes. Although the usual approach towards Romeo and Juliet is sympathetic and
blames the events that led to the tragic end only on the fate and the bad characters of the
play, such an approach is too extreme. Romeo and Juliet is not a field of the extremes,
there are no saints or devils, no good or evil, just variations of alikeness of the human
beings. Therefore the common view of Romeo and Juliet, being the innocent star-crossed
lovers, who hadnt a choice against their predetermined destiny, is too shallow. In that epic
story of love, the tragic end was outcome of different decisions which were supported at
some moments by the fate.
The play begins with explanation of the situation between the two families of
Romeo and Juliet, without mention their names, but here on the first lines we can feel the
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fate is leaving the two lovers without choice. The prologue says that the two lovers are
star-crossed and at the same time "marks" by "death." Basically Shakespeare could have
left the whole play as prologue, if he intended to only show us how their love is going to
have a tragic end. The prologue here serves more as an informational piece, which tries to
lead the mind of the reader into the direction of their doomed love. With the prologue
Shakespeare plays with the mind and the emotions of the reader in a way to challenge them
on further thinking of the reasons that led to the tragic end of the story.
The first time that a fate could have had crossed the paths of Romeo and Juliet is
when the illiterate servant asks Romeo to read the message that his Master Capulet has
given him connected to the ball in the night. My master is the great rich Capulet, and, if
you be not / of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush a / cup of wine" (I ii, 86-
88) Here the fate is on the side of Romeo , he could see his beloved Rosalina , but still that
is the first time that he needs to decide on his actions. Here the young spirit of Romeo
could be sensed, he is not scared to go the party in the house of the Capulet, although this
could create some complications and unwanted situations. The character of the young boy
is even excited by the idea of the night to come and it blames it all to the starts, thus to the
fate for the events that will follow. Some consequence yet hanging in the stars / shall
bitterly begin this fearful date".
Another interesting line mentioning the fate is Juliets line connected with the
question if Romeo is married or not she states that if Romeo is to be married.
My grave is like to be my wedding bed. Therefore she is using strong words to compare
her wedding as a death, which happens later in the play. But in this early stage of the acts,
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her words are more words of a young teenage girl, who is overreacting and using too strong
words to explain how much she likes the unknown stranger at the party.
Than in the balcony scene they are already aware that their love is impossible
which, even makes their love stronger, but in reality their decision for marriage is too
childish and fast, and if not could have resolved the tragic end of the play.
The cross-moment of fate versus choice in Romeo and Juliet is when Romeo kills
Tubal in a duel on the street. O, I am fortune's fool! (3.1.11). In this line a big
controversial question could be found, was the fate the one guilty for the death of Tybalt or
it was Romeo who killed him? Fate has only met them, the decision was in the hands of
Romeo, and thus he made a mistake, because if he hadnt killed Tybalt , the Prince
wouldnt have exiled him and the tragic end of the story still could have been fixed. The
role of the fate is only a percent in the whole play, as rational decisions of the characters
could have changed with their actions the outcome of the play.
Maybe one of the strongest sentences in the tragedy is when Romeo learns about
the death of Juliet. Is it even so? Then I defy you, stars! (5.1.2) Here he implies that
probably Juliets death was predetermined to happen, but still he wants to defy the stars.
His sentence putted out of the context could have sounded as a statement of a mad person,
because no one could defy the stars (their fate). But although at this moment Romeo didnt
knew he still had the chance to defy the stars, to go and try to understand what happened
with Juliet and hopefully to understand about her plan. Thus finally Romeo is talking about
choice, and that even the fate, which in Elizabethan time was important factor of the
century, could be defied.
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The choices that the main and the second characters in Romeo and Juliet, were the
one that mainly defined the tragic outcome of the play. From Romeo and Juliet were two
kids, who made a lot of wrong choices in the name of their great love, which was
immature, and left people dead and in the end brought them the same to the Friar or the
Nurse, who never acted maturely enough and supported strangely their decisions. Fate is
important factor in Romeo and Juliet, but in many turns of the story Romeo and Juliet
could have turned their tragic end in a different direction.
Works Cited:
Cooper, Jane. The Antioch Review: Winter 1968-69, Vol. 28, No. 4.The Multiple Masks of
Romeo: Toward a New Shakespearean Production Yellow Springs, Ohio: Antioch College,
1968. Print. 18:49
Desai, Magritte Vimochanrao.Romeo and Juliet as a Tragedy of Fate and
Character. 1968. Print.
Love and Death in Romeo and Juliet. Pictorial Charts Educational Trust. Print.
Insanity in Shakespearean Tragedy Hamlet
The definition of a mad or a sane person is defined by the reasonable moral views
of the society. Still sometimes it is hard to evaluate whether the person or its whole
surrounding is to be insane. Madness is a relative term, which tries to describe people who
cant react in a normal socially accepted way and cant see the difference between right and
wrong.
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The debate on the sanity of the protagonist of one the most famous Shakespearean
dramas Hamlet is still unresolved as is the question which its main character Hamlet is
asking To Be Or Not to be?. There are different theories which advocate the two
different poles of the question ranging from complete madness to perfect mental condition.
There are enough evidences that could show that Hamlet was perfectly playing his small
theatre in order to achieve his aims, but on the other hand there are situations that support
the actions of only an absolutely insane man. In this play Shakespeare build his character
on a few levels , leaving space for interpretation and maybe even trying to support the
theme of the uncertain nature of the humans live and reactions. Hamlet is one of the most
interesting characters in literature, he is a murderer and a hero , a smart man who is
behaving foolishly in some situations , he is tricky but at the same time not able to trick his
own demons. Analyzing his character , it seems that in his body he is living with the minds
of two people the intelligent and mild Hamlet and the violent revengouss Hamlet.
Throughout the whole play he is acting logically and reasonably, but still this is not enough
justification that he is absolutely sane. The specific emotional situation of his character led
him to believe that this acting of madness will help him to revenge the killing of his dad ,
but in reality his revenge is motivated more of the loss of his inner peace ,and he thinks that
the death of Claudius will restore his broken world. His madness could be connected to
specific condition that psychiatrist believed was very common to significant figures in
human history. The Stanford health institute states that Relationships with others are
intense but stormy and unstable with marked shifts of feelings and difficulties in
maintaining intimate, close connections. The person may manipulate others and often has
difficulty with trusting others. There is also emotional instability with marked and frequent
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shifts to an empty lonely depression or to irritability and anxiety. There may be
unpredictable and impulsive behavior which might include excessive spending,
promiscuity, gambling, drug or alcohol abuse, shoplifting, overeating or physically self-
damaging actions such as suicide gestures. The person may show inappropriate and intense
anger or rage with temper tantrums, constant brooding and resentment, feelings of
deprivation, and a loss of control or fear of loss of control over angry feelings . It is a
common condition that 14% of the population of the world have and it has its name
because people who have it couldnt really be consulted as mad , although in outbursts of
it they can loose connection with the reality and behave like Insane People. That really
resembles the situation Hamlet found himself in. The sharp turn of his life , put him trough
a serious challenge of his believes and duties.
As the character of Hamlet is divided by two , also his type of madness has two
sides- the initial feigned madness and the one that the character didnt realize until the end ,
because of his believe that he wont loose himself while faking it. The inner madness of the
character is on subconscious level , because of the incestuous marriage of his mom to the
killer of his father , which was his uncle Claudius. The character struggled to cope
emotionally with the situation, although he seemed very confident and aware of his
revengouss plan not realizing that denying every human behaviour , he would eventually
end up denying his own sanity. His depression and rage were the main fuel for the events
that followed after his returning back to his home.But because he was hurt, depressed, and
incensed, he channeled all his power and energy to gain revenge, successfully. I must be
cruel only to be kind(a.3, sc.4, l.199)The forged madness was a product of Hamlets
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attempt to confuse the people of the castle and divert any suspicion that may be targeted at
him in his mission of vindication of his fathers death.
In the beginning of the play Hamlet comes back home and the ghost of his father
unlocks his hidden anger towards the whole situation. The main character have lost not
only his father , but his mother is also dead into his eyes , because she married the killer of
his father and havent even waited the mourning period before she did so.
Tis not above my inky cloak, good
mother, Nor customary suits of solemn
black, Nor windy suspiration of forced brevity.
No, nor the fruitful riverin the eye ( Act I Sc. II 82)
Certain scholars believe that the key problem of Hamlets madness is more
connected with his probable Oedipus complex , because he criticizes his mother , but still
he shows signs of love. That struggle between loving her in maybe inappropriate way and
hating her for being involved in the death of his father is tearing him apart. If his character
was not so toughtfull and havent delayed the killing of Claudius , probably the play
wouldnt have turned the way it is.
After his first encounter with the ghost is one of the most important moments that
puzzle the readers till the end of the play and leave them wondering if he is insane or not.It
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is because of what he says to Marcello and Horatio, after learning the truth and taking a
decision of his revenge.
But come / Here, as before, never, so help you mercy / How strange or odd soe'er I
bear myself- / As I perchance hereafter shall think meet / To put an antic disposition on- /
That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, / With arms encumbered thus, or this
headshake, / Or by pronouncing some doubtful phrase /.... That you know aught of me -
this do swear, / So grace and mercy at your most need help you. (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines
177-189)
Here the main character exposes his plan to pretend that he is mentally sick, so no
one could suspect him of plot against the new king. He believes that in this way he would
be able to prove Claudius is the murderer of his father. After this point he is sure that all his
actions and words will be justified under the mask of lunacy, although trough acting his
alter ego, he slowly and surely changed into it.
Another interesting aspect of his madness is connected with Ophelia his one and
true love. He is behaving inconsistent with her , in the beginning of scene 3 he told her he
love her , and than afterwards he is sending her in the nunnery and telling her that he never
loved her. Although his actions could be justified with the idea that he cares for her and he
wants her to forget him and to be away from him ,when he is going to finish his plan with
Claudius , he is still not that sane , because if he is having the right reasoning he could
understand that such move could send Ophelia , which was not stable at all , to her tragic
end , as it happened. Probably he had some reasoning behind sending her away , that was
the reasoning of a mad person. In the play Ophelias first rejection to Hamlet was driven by
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his dad assumption that he is mad , and she should stay away from him. As probably
Ophelia , was one of the last people that Hamlet loved , her initial coldness was the end of
his sanity. But it was all connected , because if Hamlet havent tried to convince her father
Polonius that he is mad , he wouldnt tell Ophelia to stay away from him and a lot of the
events that followed wouldnt have happened. In the scene of meeting Polonius Hamlet
was eager to convince him he is out of his mind by pretending he doesnt recognize him
and using insulting language. Polonius just assumed that probably the reason behind his
madness is the love rejection and thus informed the King and the Queen first for his
condition and second mistakenly made them calm , thinking that his behavior is not
connected with the real reason for his revenge. Later on Polonius got killed by mistake by
Hamlet in his outburst of rage. Afterwards when he was confessing his murder to Claudius
his reactions were of an completely insane person. He was talking as he wasnt realizing
that he killed the father of his love , and was also taking the whole situation as a joke using
sarcastic replies to the questions Claudius asked him. Not where he eats, but where he is
eaten .
Gergana Tyaneva
A.HickmanENG388
18.03.09
Discuss the play-within-the-play (Pyramus and Thisbe)fromMND as a parody of
Rom.
Shakespeare uses the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe twice in his works. It is said he
read it in the Ovids Metamorphosis . This myth is an old roman mythology, and it is the
prototype of the most famous forbidden love story- the one of Romeo and Juliet.
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Shakespeare was able to present this plot in two very different directions, showing us the
different points of view on the same story. In Romeo and Juliet , the comedy and the fun
that could be found in the begging become a real tragedy in the end , elsewhere in the play-
within-the play in Midsummers Night Dream the supposed melodrama , becomes a
comedy towards its end.
While Romeo and Juliet is a whole play, the Pyramus and Thisbe story is used as a
subplot that goes through the entire Midsummer Nights Dream, trying to imply to the
readers, that maybe this story is a dream.
Both Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe begin with a prologue, which is
describing the settings and the events that are going to be seen. The prologue in Romeo and
Juliet sounds serious, and although it is explaining the future events it is leaving certain
mystery and interpretation to the ones who will be The which if you with patient ears
attend. Also the prologue of Romeo and Juliet is a classic Shakespearean sonnet in its
form and iambic pentameter. All of these contrasts with the hilarious prologue of the
Mechanicals play in Midsummers Night Dream. Quince prologue is a parody of sonnet.
The sentences are not whole and well build, and the rhymes sound as nursery small poems.
Also the introduction of the characters of the play is ridiculous, because the whole cast
consists of the Pyramus, Thisbe, The Wall, The Lion and The Moonshine. Summed up, this
second tragedy seems like comedy from its opening lines.
While the act in Romeo and Juliet is going flawless to its end, the act in Pyramus
and Thisbe is constantly interrupted by the comments of Quince ,explaining different
hilarious things of the melodrama that is going in front of the eyes of the characters of
Midsummers Night Dream. All those elements create this humoristic approach towards the
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Pyramus and Thisbe play, and even because it was announced as 'A tedious brief scene of
young Pyramus And his love Thisbe; very tragically mirth., it is even funnier, when the
lion explains he is not exactly a lion, and when the wall and moonshine are explaining their
roles in the middle of the play.
The scenes that are really tragically in Romeo and Juliet are grotesquely portrayed
by the Mechanicals in their performance of Pyramus and Thisbe. For example the overuse
of exclamation words like oh, o which are exaggerating the love of the two lovers in
the play.
Death in Romeo and Juliet and death in Pyramus and Thisbe is creating the
different tone in the two plays. While the death in Romeo and Juliet is tragic , the death
scene in Pyramus and Thisbes performance is comical. First of all Pyramus needs five
repetitions of the word die , to actually leave the scene and die , after explaining how he
is dying and how his soul is going to moonshine. Thisbes death is also interesting, because
it is a direct mirrored parody of the dying scene in Romeo and Juliet, just put in a different
words and settings. Thisbes approach to the dead Pyramus is Asleep, my love? / What,
dead, my dove? which sound totally out of place. Than she is comparing his features with
colors and plants, which makes even the most tragic scene of the play feel like an ironic
wink to the reader.
The prologue in Romeo and Juliet sounds serious again and it leaves a bitter feeling
in the end, but it provides a lesson of wisdom. Shakespeare decided on leaving the
Mechanicals play without prologue, but maybe the it is just again an open end to the
reader, to look at the play of Pyramus and Thisbe as a subplot to the Midsummers Night
Dream play, and maybe conclude, that every happy story could have a tragic end too.
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Works Cited:
A Midsummer Night's Dream the Play by William Shakespeare." WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Web. 18
Mar. 2010. .
Wordman's Writings - Mirrors.". Web. 18 Mar. 2010.
.
Gergana Tyaneva
A.Hickman
ENG38818.03.09
Pick any three of Shakespeares sonnets and compare and contrast them on
the basis of subject matter and form. (116, 144,147)
Sonnets 116, 144 and 147 are all constructed in the usual Shakespearean sonnet
manner. They consist of three quatrains and a final couplet which is composed in iambic
parameter. The rhyme scheme for all of those sonnets is abab cdcd efef gg. In all of them
the author has used different literary devices to express his main ideas.
The three sonnets 116, 144 and 147 come from different sequences. Sonnet 116 is still
talking about the platonic and true love of Shakespeare towards the young youth, while
sonnet 147 is concentrated on the lustful love of the author towards the dark lady which
is the second important image in the Shakespearean sonnets. Sonnet 144 is the only one
who is embodying the two images at one place and probably hinting for a secret
relationship between them. Thus the relationship between those three sonnets is very
interesting to contrast and compare, because the images of the dark woman and the fair
man could be traced in the whole universe of the Sonnets, as a main theme of his struggle
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and his desire of understanding the true nature of love and they have their meeting in the
lines of sonnet 144.
Sonnet 116 is explaining the divine nature of love. Every quatrain is explaining a
different vision on love. The last two lines are assuring the authors stable views on the
position he took about love in the previous quatrains. In this sonnet love is portrayed as
platonic, there is an absence of the usual lust and desire connected with love. The author
talks about the marriage of true minds, implying that in its purest form true love is
platonic and it is connecting the minds of the people in sacred union. This type of love is
the first type of love Shakespeare is explaining in the consequences of the young man
sonnets. In 116 he is picturing this type of love as eternal and unshakable from different
difficulties, even time is not strong enough to break the idea of this perfect relationship
between minds. Again the flesh is denied as a part of the perfect love Loves not Time's
fool, though rosy lips and cheeks. This illustration of true love is a strong indication that
the authors view of love is beyond flesh, because time could delete the beauty and thus the
true love could only be found in the connection of the true minds. In sonnet 116
Shakespeare is presenting the idea that the mind is where love begins and so this type of
love is the real and the most durable one.
In contrast in sonnet 147 the author is talking about his other type of love the dark
lady. This type of love is compared to an incurable illness. The author uses this metaphor
through the whole sonnet to present the hopeless situation he is in. In contrast to sonnet
116, here love is connected with illness and death Desire is death, which physic did
except. There is nothing immortal and pure as it was in the sonnet written for the young
man. The desire for the flesh is the metaphor of the death of the pure love; Shakespeare
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sees that type of love as the one that could metaphorically kill his soul. The dark lady is
pictured as the physician to my love; she is the only one who is able to cure him. But the
cure here is still keeping with the sinful habit of loving the dark lady. The author is
struggling over his knowledge that type of love is lustful and connected with the flesh ,
and thus he knows he needs to overcome it , on the other hand he is not able to go away
from his habit of loving the mistress and this is creating a dilemma for him. Again as the
usual Shakespearean sonnet format the last two lines represent the resolution of the
previous three quatrains. Here in contrast of the sonnet 116, the author is stating his not
sure future, and his weakness that even though he knows the dark lady is not thee fair and
thought thee bright, he cant refuse this type of love.
Those two sonnets are both discussing the same topic- love. The difference is the
subject of the love in the two sonnets. In the first one the subject is the young man and thus
love is immortal and overcoming everything. The author is sure about his intentions and
the righteousness of this type of love. In sonnet 147, love is lustful and dark, it is disturbing
the universe of the Shakespearean sonnets and it is forming an uncertain future for the
author.
The meeting point of the two different aspects of Shakespearean love is in sonnet
144. There the author states his preferences towards the type of the love he has with the
young man. His main issue is that probably there is a probability that his two worlds collide
in one and thus he would be left out.
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell;
but being both from me, both to each friend
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Also, in this sonnet the author is implying probably the idea of the bad angel, who will ruin
his good angel, because she will ruin his pure idea of the image of the young man.
In sonnets 116 and 144 and Shakespeare is portraying his love universe and his different
atititudes towards love. In 147, the lustful love and the platonic, pure love exist in the lines
of the sonnet, creating a perplexed universe for the author. He is struggling to keep his love
towards the young man pure, and to be able to escape from the lustful love of the dark lady.
In sonnet 147 contrasting to the other two, a new question emerges, whether there is a
possibility of neither of the loves to be the true one. Probably the resolution comes, when
the platonic love is tested under the calls of the flesh.
Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,
till my bad angel fire my good one out
Gergana Tyaneva
A.Hickman
ENG38818.03.09
Pick any three of Shakespeares sonnets and compare and contrast them on
the basis of subject matter and form. (116, 144,147)
Sonnets 116, 144 and 147 are all constructed in the usual Shakespearean sonnet
manner. They consist of three quatrains and a final couplet which is composed in iambic
parameter. The rhyme scheme for all of those sonnets is abab cdcd efef gg. In all of them
the author has used different literary devices to express his main ideas.
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The three sonnets 116, 144 and 147 come from different sequences. Sonnet 116 is still
talking about the platonic and true love of Shakespeare towards the young youth, while
sonnet 147 is concentrated on the lustful love of the author towards the dark lady which
is the second important image in the Shakespearean sonnets. Sonnet 144 is the only one
who is embodying the two images at one place and probably hinting for a secret
relationship between them. Thus the relationship between those three sonnets is very
interesting to contrast and compare, because the images of the dark woman and the fair
man could be traced in the whole universe of the Sonnets, as a main theme of his struggle
and his desire of understanding the true nature of love and they have their meeting in the
lines of sonnet 144.
Sonnet 116 is explaining the divine nature of love. Every quatrain is explaining a
different vision on love. The last two lines are assuring the authors stable views on the
position he took about love in the previous quatrains. In this sonnet love is portrayed as
platonic, there is an absence of the usual lust and desire connected with love. The author
talks about the marriage of true minds, implying that in its purest form true love is
platonic and it is connecting the minds of the people in sacred union. This type of love is
the first type of love Shakespeare is explaining in the consequences of the young man
sonnets. In 116 he is picturing this type of love as eternal and unshakable from different
difficulties, even time is not strong enough to break the idea of this perfect relationship
between minds. Again the flesh is denied as a part of the perfect love Loves not Time's
fool, though rosy lips and cheeks. This illustration of true love is a strong indication that
the authors view of love is beyond flesh, because time could delete the beauty and thus the
true love could only be found in the connection of the true minds. In sonnet 116
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Shakespeare is presenting the idea that the mind is where love begins and so this type of
love is the real and the most durable one.
In contrast in sonnet 147 the author is talking about his other type of love the dark
lady. This type of love is compared to an incurable illness. The author uses this metaphor
through the whole sonnet to present the hopeless situation he is in. In contrast to sonnet
116, here love is connected with illness and death Desire is death, which physic did
except. There is nothing immortal and pure as it was in the sonnet written for the young
man. The desire for the flesh is the metaphor of the death of the pure love; Shakespeare
sees that type of love as the one that could metaphorically kill his soul. The dark lady is
pictured as the physician to my love; she is the only one who is able to cure him. But the
cure here is still keeping with the sinful habit of loving the dark lady. The author is
struggling over his knowledge that type of love is lustful and connected with the flesh ,
and thus he knows he needs to overcome it , on the other hand he is not able to go away
from his habit of loving the mistress and this is creating a dilemma for him. Again as the
usual Shakespearean sonnet format the last two lines represent the resolution of the
previous three quatrains. Here in contrast of the sonnet 116, the author is stating his not
sure future, and his weakness that even though he knows the dark lady is not thee fair and
thought thee bright, he cant refuse this type of love.
Those two sonnets are both discussing the same topic- love. The difference is the
subject of the love in the two sonnets. In the first one the subject is the young man and thus
love is immortal and overcoming everything. The author is sure about his intentions and
the righteousness of this type of love. In sonnet 147, love is lustful and dark, it is disturbing
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the universe of the Shakespearean sonnets and it is forming an uncertain future for the
author.
The meeting point of the two different aspects of Shakespearean love is in sonnet
144. There the author states his preferences towards the type of the love he has with the
young man. His main issue is that probably there is a probability that his two worlds collide
in one and thus he would be left out.
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell;
but being both from me, both to each friend
Also, in this sonnet the author is implying probably the idea of the bad angel, who will ruin
his good angel, because she will ruin his pure idea of the image of the young man.
In sonnets 116 and 144 and Shakespeare is portraying his love universe and his different
atititudes towards love. In 147, the lustful love and the platonic, pure love exist in the lines
of the sonnet, creating a perplexed universe for the author. He is struggling to keep his love
towards the young man pure, and to be able to escape from the lustful love of the dark lady.
In sonnet 147 contrasting to the other two, a new question emerges, whether there is a
possibility of neither of the loves to be the true one. Probably the resolution comes, when
the platonic love is tested under the calls of the flesh.
Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,
till my bad angel fire my good one out