Shakespeare’s sonnet 116 and sonnet 130 both describe love in different ways but both show the ideals of platonic love. The three stages of platonic love is the love of body, the love of mind and the love of soul.
Shakespeare discusses the love, or lack there of, body in sonnet 130 by saying that his love does not need to be comely to sight for him to be happy with her. He describes how actually unattractive she is by comparing her hair to “Black wires” and by saying her eyes are “Nothing like the sun”. He also describes her bad breath and her colorless cheeks yet at the end he says he considers her as rare as any other and conveys the message that he is happy with her. Sonnet 116 also states that beauty is not what love is all about. It says “Though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come.” this shows that beauty fades and shows the belief that love must be more than beauty.
The love of mind is discussed in sonnet 130 when Shakespeare writes “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound.” this means that he is content with his love whether or not she speaks her mind. In sonnet 116 he says that he does not want to just marry someone for their mind because people are changed over time and “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds,”.
Sonnet 116 shows that love is not true, platonic love unless it lasts forever, or is love of soul. This is shown in lines 11 and 12, “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom.” in sonnet 130, Shakespeare shows a love of soul by stating that his love is not thought of as beautiful nor is she interesting but he loves her and cherishes her all the same. He must love her soul because the others characteristics of platonic love don’t seem important to him.
Platonic love is shown through both of Shakespeare’s sonnets, 116 and 130 even though in different ways.
How Shakespeare’s sonnets 116 and 130 show the ideals of platonic love
Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 130 are two of his most famous and beloved works that explore the concept of platonic love. Plato first proposed the idea of platonic love in his dialogues during the fourth century BCE, and it has since become an important theme in literature, art, and philosophy. Platonic love is a type of love that is based on intellectual and spiritual attraction between two people, rather than sexual desire. It is a deep and lasting connection that can transcend physical boundaries.
In Sonnet 116, Shakespeare evokes the idea of platonic love through the metaphor of a star-crossed lover’s bond that is “not time’s fool”, but rather “an ever-fixed mark” that “looks on tempests and is never shaken”. He paints a picture of two people whose connection is strong enough to weather the storms of life and remain unshaken by time. This imagery alludes to the idea of lasting platonic love, suggesting that the bond between two people can be so deep and lasting, that it transcends the physical realm and is unaffected by the passage of time.
In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare again uses imagery to explore the idea of platonic love. He compares his beloved to various objects in nature, such as “a lily of the field”, a “black wire wig”, and a “breath of all the western wind”. He acknowledges the differences between his beloved and these objects, but emphasizes that he still loves her in the same way. This imagery suggests the idea of loving someone for who they are, rather than for their physical appearance or outward beauty. It alludes to the idea of platonic love, which is based on a deep understanding and appreciation of one another, rather than physical attraction.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 130 explore the idea of platonic love in different ways. In Sonnet 116, he evokes the idea of a connection so strong and so lasting, it transcends the physical realm and is unaffected by the passage of time. In Sonnet 130, he uses imagery to suggest the idea of loving someone for who they are, rather than their physical beauty. Together, these two sonnets provide a powerful insight into the ideals of platonic love and illustrate the importance of understanding and appreciating one another on a deeper level.