Introduction
William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most significant individuals who has managed to shape the carcass of modern culture. Little glimpses into his life show that Shakespeare was a talented playwright, actor, and poet who grew up in English market life. He then moved to London only to return to Stratford-upon-Avon to become a wealthy landowner. Still, Shakespeare is rightfully regarded as one of the most influential artists humanity has ever known. Known both for his poetic talent and genius prose, Shakespeare established his literary style, which impacted the world of literature and became the foundation of the majority of modern clichés. Interestingly, William Shakespeare’s works were somewhat of a novelty during his lifetime. The author aimed to deconstruct common approaches to poetry and prose by experimenting with the themes of his works. Shakespeare’s commitment to unconventionality is the reason for his broad appeal even today. The writer’s skill to manipulate language and dialogue to convey a unique message makes him stand out even among 21st-century novelists.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets are full of romantic imagery and musings about love, time, mortality, and beauty. On the one hand, they are testaments to those who came before Shakespeare – Virgil, Ovid, Plutarch, and others. On the other hand, this paper includes an in-depth discussion about Shakespeare’s mastery in presenting the themes of love and beauty from an atypical perspective. First, it examines Shakespeare’s unconventional take on love and youth in Sonnets 52 and 72. Then, the paper transitions into an analysis of Shakespeare challenging the literary traditions of writing about romance. Lastly, the essay includes a section dedicated to Shakespeare’s unorthodox descriptions of beauty.
As of 2020, it is absurd to perceive a man writing about love in 16th century England as a rebel. Nonetheless, William Shakespeare managed to set a standard for his successors by challenging the literary dogma and stretching the limits of artistic expression. Critics note that “the hegemony of English as a global lingua franca, reinforced by the dominance of English on the Internet, helped to solidify the sense that Shakespeare, the most famous writer in the English language, is now a global reference point” (Lanier 1271). Being the most cherished English writer in the history of language, William Shakespeare left behind enough plays and poems to challenge any scholar trying to critically analyze the writer’s masterpieces. Nevertheless, this essay is going to focus on Shakespeare’s Sonnets as the author’s most popular works, which continue to receive praise from critics and book worms worldwide.
Musings about Youth
Shakespeare has demonstrated the genius of innovation and experimentation in the way he described the experience of loving something. Sonnet 52 takes an unconventional approach to love and the test of time. Shakespeare argues that the more time people spend apart from someone they have deep feelings for, the more special the love becomes. The poet incorporates an analogy to make readers invested in the examination of time and love. He compares the time spent away from a lover to a rich man resisting to see his biggest treasure. Shakespeare goes against the literary traditions of Elizabethan poetry and emphasizes the importance of moderation even in something as beautiful as love. Another way Shakespeare adds a unique personal touch to the Sonnet is by directing his musings about love not to a specific person, or an object even, but to youth. Shakespeare demonstrates that it is possible to admire and have strong feelings for something non-material. This idea has been fresh and unorthodox at the time, which made Shakespeare stand out. In Sonnet 78, Shakespeare continues to develop the theme of youth. He portrays something he loves (youth) as his greatest inspiration. Again, the writer uses something non-material as a source of love and artistic expression. Shakespeare’s muse does not have a gender, a skin color, or even a face, which makes the Sonnet challenge the established notions of beauty, love, and youth.
An Unorthodox Take on Love
William Shakespeare streetcars the limits of Elizabethan society and presents an unconventional love story in his play “Much Ado About Nothing.” The writer challenges the readers to compare the two young couples and recognize the romantic problems they face. In “Much Ado about Nothing,” the playwright pokes fun at Elizabethan literary dogma and portrays a relationship, which seems perfect from the outside but is ultimately doomed because young lovers do not have genuine feelings for one another. In contrast, the play features a couple that includes opposite personalities. These characters are both strong-headed and unwilling to express their true feelings for each other. Despite that, Shakespeare demonstrates that love is chaotic and unexpected rather than pre-planned and perfect. Paul A. Kottman notes that the theme of love in literary works is “a matrix through which to better grasp broad social-historical-institutional transformations.” Thus, even though society might seem to prefer a certain type of love story, artists need to portray realistic relationships in their work. As of 2020, this notion extends to the inclusion of romantic plots featuring LGBTQ+ or disabled characters. What makes Shakespeare so innovative is that his decision to focus on the superficial vs. real still has the potential to resonate with so many young people. Although the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice is imperfect, it is grounded in authentic feelings, which is the definition of “love.” Their story is worth rooting for simply because of its genuine and raw emotional appeal, rather than the characters’ seemingly perfect compatibility.
Claudio and Hero are polite, well-mannered, and have a high social status, which is solidified once they get together. Their story is an example of a common portrayal of romance in Elizabethan literature. Shakespeare mocks these established tropes by showing the audience how superficial the relationship between Claudio and Hero is. Once Claudio suspects Hero of cheating, he rejects and humiliates her in front of people. This behavior is not synonymous with love, which proves that the feelings between Claudio and Hero are artificial. Society expects them to be together, which Shakespeare criticizes in the play. Claudio’s love for Hero is based solely on appearances and existing social ideologies, which is why he is ready to talk about his feelings for Hero so openly, discussing their intimate moments with his friends. The fact that Don John can trick Claudio into believing him is another example of the artificiality of Claudio’s feelings. Claudio knows little to nothing about the girl he is willing to profess his love to, which is why it is easy for others to cloud his judgment, praying on his vulnerability and ignorance regarding Hero as a person. Claudio’s feelings for Hero are an infatuation, which explains why he idealizes her and becomes obsessed with her sexual honor.
While Claudio has no feelings, to begin with, Benedick is just too afraid to express his. Throughout the play, Benedick tries to downplay his feelings for Beatrice and make them seem coincidental. However, the strength of his authenticity breaks through the artificially created mask he covers his heart with. Although Benedick’s failure to confess his love for Beatrice is an example of his emotional instability, Shakespeare demonstrates that Beatrice and Benedick are perfect for each other. Going against the common ideas surrounding perfect relationships, the playwright tells the story of two flawed and ill-tempered people falling in love. Although both Beatrice and Benedick are not regarded highly in the society of the time, they manage to rebel against the social norm and find happiness in one another. Benedick and Beatrice confessing their love for one another is the culmination of Shakespeare’s unorthodox vision of love. In “Much Ado about Nothing,” the writer emphasizes the importance of looking beyond what is considered normal or socially acceptable, particularly when it comes to love. Beatrice and Benedick serve as an example of love extending further than infatuation and physical attraction to the depths of deep connection.
Beauty as a Matter of Perception
Irrefutably, beauty is one of the underlying themes of the Shakespearean Sonnet. The writer’s appreciation of and love of beauty is expressed through an identified muse. Although Shakespeare shows readers how magnificent his muse looks through his eyes, he tries to stay away from relying too much on hyperboles. Writers tend to exaggerate the character’s feelings to make the story more exciting. Poets, in particular, are the ones to blame for setting unrealistic standards when it comes to beauty and love. Shakespeare seemed to recognize that a person’s looks, even if they are the epitome of beauty, would not take his breath away or start a revolution. The writer decided to take a realistic approach to describe the beauty of those around him. Even though Shakespeare’s descriptions of beauty are more subdued than those of fellow poets and dramatists, they have a special sense of genuineness and rawness, which makes them so appealing to broad audiences.
Despite the writer’s avoidance of exaggerations, he does not shy away from his musings on beauty and jumps right into praising the magnificence of the muse in Sonnet 130. This Sonnet tries to challenge the established way beauty is described in poetry. Following their artistic instincts, poets often portray the features of their beloved in unrealistic ways. Shakespeare manages to do just the opposite in Sonnet 130 by turning the idea of female beauty on its head. The writer provides readers with an alternative view of appreciating a woman, despite her imperfections. In a way, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 is an answer to the works of the Elizabethan era, which followed Petrarchan ideals and continually praised a woman’s beauty.
William Shakespeare shows his genius by crafting a poem that breaks the rules of convention and breaks new literary grounds. Although Sonnet 130 explores common themes of beauty and love, it realistically approaches them. The poet abandons flowery language and absurd hyperboles in favor of praising the mistress’ imperfections. He accepts the heroine’s shortcomings and sees her as a real woman without any poetic falsity. By doing so, Shakespeare also rejects the idea that love relies on an illusion of perfection. Sonnet 130 is an honest love poem that serves as an antithesis to the sweet idealism of Petrarchan ideals prominent at the time.
Another important aspect of Shakespeare’s unconventionality when it comes to the theme of beauty is the writer’s commitment to showing that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. The poet recognizes that beauty standards tend to change over time, while people’s admiration of beauty remains constant. William Shakespeare takes a unique approach to explore the theme of beauty in Sonnet 127. In this poem, he emphasizes how important it is to understand that everyone has their interpretation of beauty. Sonnet 127 begins with Shakespeare challenging the standards of beauty predominantly in Elizabethan days. He defends his “Dark Lady,” a brunette who does not fit the ideals of fairness in females. Shakespeare masterfully critiques the society he is a part of by describing the sacrifices women make to achieve an illusion idea of beauty. The poet expresses his concern over women using cosmetics to mask their natural features, which leads to artificiality. Moreover, the writer notes that people sacrifice the constancy of what is beautiful for fickle ideas of what a woman should look like. The themes explored in Sonnet 127 can resonate with the current generation of girls using plastic surgery of dieting to achieve the ideal.
One of the prominent ideas of the poem is that beauty is subjective. No one can stay impartial when it comes to the matters of beauty and love, according to Shakespeare. Therefore, the poet’s admiration of the Dark Lady is unique to him. While others may dismiss the looks or character of Shakespeare’s muse, he continues to praise her magnificence. The poet stands in opposition to the established literary traditions of Elizabethan poetry. He declares that beauty should not be a priority since it is subjective and often changes by emerging trends.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current generation needs to recognize the genius of William Shakespeare. The playwright and poet used his kills to stretch the limits of literature and art, in general. Shakespeare was a true rebel who decided to stand in opposition to what was common. The writer established his influence by experimenting with the exploration of themes such as love and beauty. In the history of the English language, Shakespeare should be known as one of the pioneers of realism. Although the literary dogma of 16th century England left a footprint on Shakespearean style, the author remained authentic and unapologetic in his works. Shakespeare’s Sonnets are a great example of the writer’s unconventionality in approaching the notions of beauty and love. Despite these themes being extremely popular, Shakespeare manages to offer a fresh take to his readers by critiquing the absurdity of some of the existing social norms. The writer argues that love often grows with time. Shakespeare also challenges the idea of a perfect relationship in his Sonnet. Lastly, the poet rejects the existing beauty standards and praises the magnificence of a woman who does not fit them. As a result, Shakespeare secures his spot as one of the most innovative writers with a unique perspective on things.
Works Cited
Caseley, Laura. “Learn How Our Standards Of Beauty Have Changed Throughout History.” Little Things, 2016, Web.
Jover, Loui. “Annotated Shakespeare Collage.” Saatchi Art, 2020. Web.
Kottman, Paul A. “Shakespeare, Love, and Language.” Shakespeare Quarterly, 2020. Oxford Academic.
Lanier, Douglas. “Shakespeare and Popular Culture.” The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare, 2019, pp. 1261-1273.