Glorification of True Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: A Textual Approach

Abstract

This research tries to define love by stating both what it is and what it is not. The sonnet is famous for the speaker’s conviction and passion as they set out to define and confirm their faith in love, and it is this exploration into what love means and what it does to people that lends the poem to universality. Many people cannot identify with this desire to find and understand love, reflecting the universal nature of love in themes and topics found in all of Shakespeare’s works. The study first provides a historical background of life in the sixteenth century in England followed by the Renaissance period in England, after that it presents the sixteenth century English poetry, then it introduces sonnet in general and Shakespearean sonnet in specific. The existing literature is explained on Shakespeare and his works, also the methods which the researchers used to reach the conclusion have been highlighted. Types of love are explained briefly and love in “Sonnet 116” is discussed at the end along with the idea of the sonnet.
The researchers attempted to demonstrate clear and brief answers to questions like “How did Shakespeare define true love in sonnet 116?” The imagery of this sonnet, also the glorification of true love by Shakespeare and Shakespeare’s view about true love have been discussed through textual and historical approaches.