Context on Sonnet 116 Flashcards
What figures can be seen in Shakespeare’s Sonnets?
The poet, the Fair Youth, the Dark Lady, and the Rival Poet.
What is the role of the Fair Youth in the Sonnets?
The Fair Youth is the subject of the Sonnets, which are addressed to a young man. The relationship between the Fair Youth and the poet is unclear. Some say it is platonic, others read this as having gay undertones.
Henry Wriothesley
The 3rd Earl of Southampton, who had two of Shakespeare’s Sonnets dedicated to him. He is frequently identified as the Fair Youth.
Plato’s Theory of Forms
Plato thought there were ideal forms of everything, saying that the physical realm (real world) is only a shadow/image of the true reality of the Realm of Forms.
How does Plato’s theory relate to love?
The ideal form of love presents love in the real world as only an inferior copy - it is subject to deterioration and failure. Meanwhile, the ideal form of love can never be compromised.
