The Sonnet 143 is one of Shakespeare's most inventful ones. Simultaneously it is as one of the dark lady sonnets fixed in a way. Without the knowledge of this classification it could also be the `farm-sonnet`. The poet feels attracted to the dark lady, who feels in turn attracted to 1another `person`. A chase takes it course. It is a horizontal chase, which has to end up, if there is no interruption, after a long while at the same place, if the reader can trust the idea of a circle of desire. This image Shakespeare sets in the heads of them. But in contrast to other chasings, this is not about fear, it is about love and the longing for touching. There is also no one, who runs away from the mouth smell of the dark lady. In this sonnet, the dark lady is presented as a 'housewife'. So she would know a lot about caring. Besides the poet describes her as careful, which means that she is able to provide herself, but this said nothing about if the poet likes that. Deftly in pressing on the glands, Shakespeare displays himself in the lonely offside. Instead of compassion, it is necessary to ask the question, how much the poet manipulates his own figure. Moreover the question, if Shakespeare is a misogynous poet has to be answered. This term paper will try to give an answer.
Table of Contents
1. The poet's slyest invitation of sexual jubilation
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines Shakespeare's Sonnet 143 to analyze the manipulative nature of the poetic persona, the portrayal of the "dark lady," and the subversion of traditional Petrarcan sonnet conventions through irony and hedonistic imagery.
- Analysis of the structural composition of Sonnet 143 (quatrains and couplet).
- Examination of the "housewife" and "mother" imagery in the context of desire.
- Investigation of the poet's manipulative rhetoric and his portrayal of "love" as a conditional construct.
- Comparison with other Shakespearean sonnets and classical literary references (e.g., Homer's Iliad).
- Evaluation of the poet's psychological state and the charges of misogyny within the text.
Excerpt from the book
The poet's slyest invitation of sexual jubilation
The Sonnet 143 is one of Shakespeare's most inventful ones. Simultaneously it is as one of the dark lady sonnets fixed in a way. Without the knowledge of this classification it could also be the `farm-sonnet`. The poet feels attracted to the dark lady, who feels in turn attracted to another `person`. A chase takes it course. It is a horizontal chase, which has to end up, if there is no interruption, after a long while at the same place, if the reader can trust the idea of a circle of desire. This image Shakespeare sets in the heads of them. But in contrast to other chasings, this is not about fear, it is about love and the longing for touching. There is also no one, who runs away from the mouth smell of the dark lady. In this sonnet, the dark lady is presented as a 'housewife'. So she would know a lot about caring. Besides the poet describes her as careful, which means that she is able to provide herself, but this said nothing about if the poet likes that. Deftly in pressing on the glands, Shakespeare displays himself in the lonely offside. Instead of compassion, it is necessary to ask the question, how much the poet manipulates his own figure. Moreover the question, if Shakespeare is a misogynous poet has to be answered. This term paper will try to give an answer.
First of all, the sonnet 143 is a classical 14 line sonnet with three quatrains and a couple. The first quatrain is a thesis, in which the dark lady as a 'housewife' is running after someone. The second quatrain is another thesis, in which the dark lady obviously takes no notice of the poet. The third quatrain is an antithesis, in which the poet reproaches the dark lady and her behaviour towards him, scrutinizes her abilities of being a 'lover', but expects her when she will coming back to him. The final couplet shows an aphoristic kind of synthesis, in which the poet could be seen humble or shifty when he expresses his longing for the dark lady.
Summary of Chapters
1. The poet's slyest invitation of sexual jubilation: This chapter provides a comprehensive literary analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 143, exploring themes of manipulation, gender roles, and the subversion of traditional sonnet structures through the lens of psychological and philosophical interpretations.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Sonnet 143, Dark Lady, Literary Analysis, Misogyny, Manipulation, Petrarcan Tradition, Hedonism, Imagery, Psychoanalysis, Iliad, Rhetoric, Mother Archetype, Desire, Poetic Persona
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper primarily investigates the rhetorical and thematic layers of Shakespeare's Sonnet 143, specifically focusing on how the poet manipulates the reader and the subject to satisfy his own carnal desires.
What are the central themes discussed in the analysis?
The core themes include the subversion of the Petrarcan sonnet tradition, the intersection of domestic imagery with sexual desire, and the psychological complexity of the poet's "crying" for the dark lady.
What is the author's main research objective?
The main objective is to determine if the poetic persona in Sonnet 143 is manipulative or misogynistic and to explore the irony behind his claims of helplessness and desire.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The analysis utilizes a close reading approach, examining the sonnet's structure, imagery, and rhetorical devices, while incorporating psychoanalytic perspectives and comparative literary references, such as Homer’s Iliad.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body covers a structural breakdown of the sonnet's quatrains, an analysis of the "fly" and "feather" motifs, and an investigation into how the poet uses his own perceived vulnerability to manipulate the dark lady's behavior.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Shakespeare, Sonnet 143, Dark Lady, Manipulation, Hedonism, Petrarcan Tradition, and Psychological Analysis.
How does the author interpret the term "housewife" in the sonnet?
The author interprets the term "housewife" as a clever manipulation by the poet, intended to paint the dark lady as both comforting and thrifty, ultimately serving the poet's own need to be taken care of.
Why does the author compare the sonnet to Homer's Iliad?
The comparison is used to highlight the similarity between the poet’s lamentation for the dark lady and the classic image of a weeping warrior, suggesting a potential source of influence for the poet’s "infantile" behavior.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the poet's misogyny?
The author concludes that Shakespeare does embody a misogynous perspective in this sonnet, as he is insidious in his pursuit of satisfaction and displays a disparaging attitude toward the woman’s needs in favor of his own.
Does the author consider the poet's "crying" to be genuine?
No, the author argues that the "crying" is a deliberate rhetorical strategy used by the poet to declare his neediness and manipulate the dark lady into returning to him.
- Quote paper
- Sarah Jungnitz (Author), 2017, The poet's slyest invitation of sexual jubilation. About Shakespeare's sonnet 143, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/387711
