Shakespeare Sonnets Analysis

William Shakespeare was an excellent writer, who throughout his life created well written pieces of literatures which are valued and learned about in modern times. One of his many works are 154 Sonnets, within these Sonnets there are several people Shakespeare “writes to”, such as fair youth, dark lady and rival poet. Sonnet 20 is written to fair youth, or in other words a young man. The idea of homosexuality appears in Sonnet 20 after the speaker admits his love towards the young man.

Throughout Sonnet 20, the poet refers to women in adverse manner seeming false, belittled and only good for one thing. Line four of the Sonnet mentions women being false and constantly changing (Bevington 889). As Duncan-Jones mentions, “Shifting change means to change clothes, especially underclothes” (20). Although the poem may not be mentioning clothes; Duncan-Jones finds that people change clothes often, which is the same way women change. Slowly the poet begins to see the difference among women and his beloved young man. Not only does the poet refer to women as false; but he also creates a sense that women can only serve for one purpose, to bear children. Constantly mentioned by Booth and Vendler, hues does not only mean color it also refers to the meaning “to use”, which was a common spelling in Old English (Booth 164, Vendler 20). This being said the poem mentions women being used for their treasure, or in other words to bear children so that men have heirs (Booth 165). After having children it may seem easier to act heterosexual to avoid questions about being homosexual. Previously mentioned women are only good for sexual pleasure and bearing children, this in turn means they have no value and anyone can have control of them. Line two ment...

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...y change. Once the poet begins to reveal his love towards the young man, he begins to realize that Nature has prevented him from being with the young man. The only thing left to do is give up. Instead of giving up the poet finds it easier to accept the young man for his true love and allow the young man to sexually please woman. Although it was inconvenient for both to be male, the poet accepted the homosexual relationship and longed for the young man’s love in return.

Works Cited

Bevington, David. The Necessary Shakespeare. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Pearson/Longman, 2005. 889. Print

Booth, Stephen. Shakespeare's Sonnets. New Haven, CT: Yale University, 2000. 163-65. Print.

Duncan-Jones, Katherine. Shakespeare's Sonnets. London: Arden Shakespeare, 1997. 150-51. Print.

Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1999. 127-29. Print.