I’ll leave you with a skeptic’s view of the autobiographical nature of the sonnets:Įvery sonneteer of the 16th century, at some point in his career, devoted his energies to vituperation of a cruel siren….In Shakespeare’s early life the convention was wittily parodied by Gabriel Harvey in “An Amorous Odious sonnet entitled The Student’s Loove or Hatrid, or both or neither, or what shall please the looving or hating reader, either in sport or in earnest, to make of such contrary passions as are here discoursed”. The most famous contenders are Mary Fitton, lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Lucy Morgan, a brothel owner and Emilia Lanier, the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, patron of the arts. Attempts have been made to solicit possible historical candidates for the role of the dark lady, based on their likely association with Shakespeare. Is Sonnet 147 autobiographical? Did Shakespeare really have an affair with a raven-haired seducer? Critics are divided on this matter, and, until some new documents are uncovered, we shall never know the truth. his soul, and in Sonnet 152 we are witness to the end of the affair. In Sonnet 151, the poet admits that he cannot continue the relationship because it betrays his “nobler part” (6) i.e. Not until later sonnets (150-1) do we see a change of tone and a cool-headed acknowledgment of the recklessness of the whole affair. He deduces in the final quatrain that he surely must be insane, for he calls his mistress just and moral when she obviously is neither. Confused by his own inexplicable urges, the poet’s whole being is at odds with his insatiable “sickly appetite” (4) for the dark lady. The poet yearns to understand why, in spite of the judgment of reason (5), he still is enslaved by her charms.
The three quatrains outline the poet’s inner struggle to cope with both his lover’s infidelity and the embarrassing self-admission that he still desires her to gratify him sexually, even though she has been with other men. Shakespeare’s scathing attack upon the morality of his mistress exemplifies their tumultuous and perplexing relationship. In the next line we see that death is not a remedy which the physician will allow the poet.īlack (14) ] A play on the dark complexion of the poet’s mistress.
The physician to my love (5) ] The poet’s reason acts as his doctor, advising him on the proper course of action. Many critics believe this is a direct reference to a sexually transmitted disease. Note Sonnet 144, “Till my bad angel fire my good one out” (14). The focus on illness might be connected to venereal disease. Also note the more subtle word play with phy sician and phy sic. Notice Shakespeare’s word choices: fever (1), disease (2), ill (3), physician (5), prescription (6), physic (8), death (8), and cure (9). Sickly (4) ] Love as a sickness is the primary motif of the sonnet. My thoughts and my words are like a madman’s,įor I thought you were moral and bright (shining as a star),īut you really are black as hell and dark as night. Now reason is past caring, now I am past cure, Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.įeeding on that which prolongs the illness,Īll to please the unhealthy desires of the body.Īngry that I do not follow his directions,ĭesire leads to death, which physic (reason) will not allow. My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,Īt random from the truth vainly express’d įor I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright, Hath left me, and I desperate now approveĭesire is death, which physic did except. For that which longer nurseth the disease,įeeding on that which doth preserve the ill,Īngry that his prescriptions are not kept,
0 kommentar(er)
