Justifying Mutual Deception in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 138A common conception of William Shakespeare's poetry involves complex language and hidden meanings. Shakespeare is famous for his ability to create a web of images that creates layers of interpretations and understandings. In Sonnet 138 however, Shakespeare describes his relationship with his lover more directly by avoiding images and metaphors, explaining to the reader that this seemingly unconventional relationship is indeed justified. Shakespeare constructs the speaker's character in such a way as to establish an informal, conversational relationship with the reader. This allows for an open disclosure of the mutual hypocrisies between him and his lover while letting his unwavering frankness convince the reader that Shakespeare's assertions regarding love are acceptable. Shakespeare's elimination of imagery allows him to rely on the diction he takes advantage of by selecting words with double meanings, creating a reflective manner about the poem for the reader to explore. Shakespeare conveys the meaning of the poem, that mutual deception is compatible with love, with the seemingly simple language that connects the reader to the speaker while forcing the reader to think twice about certain words that deepen superficial understanding. As in all Shakespearean sonnets, the structure of the poem plays an important role, as the three quatrains and the final couplet often represent transitions in tone, language, and meaning. However, Sonnet 138 differs from the norm as do the first two quatrains...... middle of paper ......due to such a connection to the speaker and wanting to understand the speaker's situation, Shakespeare justifies the hypocrisies on the surface of this love scenario. The speaker grabs hold of his audience in an inviting, conversational way that compels them to appreciate what he has to say. As the speaker asserts his knowledge of how love works, the reader agrees because the speaker articulates each word with the express purpose of making the reader understand. The speaker's sharp and effective language makes the reader hang on every word, creating achievements in multi-word puns that deepen the meaning of the poem and illustrate to the reader better than apparent truth, mutual deception and love can exist in harmony..

Essay / Justifying Mutual Deception in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 138A common conception of William Shakespeare's poetry involves complex language and hidden meanings. Shakespeare is famous for his ability to create a web of images that creates layers of interpretations and understandings. In Sonnet 138 however, Shakespeare describes his relationship with his lover more directly by avoiding images and metaphors, explaining to the reader that this seemingly unconventional relationship is indeed justified. Shakespeare constructs the speaker's character in such a way as to establish an informal, conversational relationship with the reader. This allows for an open disclosure of the mutual hypocrisies between him and his lover while letting his unwavering frankness convince the reader that Shakespeare's assertions regarding love are acceptable. Shakespeare's elimination of imagery allows him to rely on the diction he takes advantage of by selecting words with double meanings, creating a reflective manner about the poem for the reader to explore. Shakespeare conveys the meaning of the poem, that mutual deception is compatible with love, with the seemingly simple language that connects the reader to the speaker while forcing the reader to think twice about certain words that deepen superficial understanding. As in all Shakespearean sonnets, the structure of the poem plays an important role, as the three quatrains and the final couplet often represent transitions in tone, language, and meaning. However, Sonnet 138 differs from the norm as do the first two quatrains...... middle of paper ......due to such a connection to the speaker and wanting to understand the speaker's situation, Shakespeare justifies the hypocrisies on the surface of this love scenario. The speaker grabs hold of his audience in an inviting, conversational way that compels them to appreciate what he has to say. As the speaker asserts his knowledge of how love works, the reader agrees because the speaker articulates each word with the express purpose of making the reader understand. The speaker's sharp and effective language makes the reader hang on every word, creating achievements in multi-word puns that deepen the meaning of the poem and illustrate to the reader better than apparent truth, mutual deception and love can exist in harmony..

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