shakespeare's sonnets: use of the second person

8/18/2019 Shakespeare's Sonnets: Use of the Second Person

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Shakespeare’s SonnetsUse of the Second Person and What it says about

Shakespeare

In her ‘Shakespeare’s Wife’, Germaine Greer says of the rst 17 sonnets (chapter15) ‘It is conceivabe if not obvio!s that the ‘tho!’ an" ‘yo!’ are not the sameperson an" the reationship not the same reationship’# In fact, the "istinctionbet$een the famiiar an" the forma secon" person %oes beyon" these 17sonnets# In &abe 1 beo$ I have broken "o$n a the sonnets into three %ro!ps'the ‘theetho!’ sonnets the ‘yo!ye ‘sonnets an" the sonnets $ith no secon"person# I have in"icate" by coo!r to $hom the sonnets are a""resse"# It $i beseen that both the *air +o!th an" the iva -oet sonnets are spit bet$een thefamiiar an" the forma secon" person# .ny the sonnets to the /ark 0a"y areconsistent she is a$ays the famiiar ‘theetho!’# &he most pop!ar can"i"atefor the i"entity of the ‘*air +o!th’ is the 2ar of So!thampton# 3y probem $ith

So!thampton is, bein% an aristocrat, he $o!" have e4pecte" to be a""resse" as‘thee’ ony by his famiy, his cose frien"s, other peers an" the !een# It $o!"have been pres!mpt!o!s of a commoner to have been so famiiar#

Table 1

Green' 6 the *air +o!th Red' 6 the iva -oet Black ' 6 the /ark

0a"y

‘Thee/Thou’ sonnets !"#$

1 8 9 : 7 ; < 1= 11 1 19 1; 1< = 9 : 7 ; < 8= 81 89 85 8: 87 8; 8<

9= 91 9 98 95 9: 97 9; 9< 5= 51 5: := :1 : :< 7= 78 79 77 7; 7< ; ;7 ;;;< 1= 195>

‘'o Second Person’ sonnets !()$

5 1 8 5 8 88 99 :8 :9 :5 :: :7 :;


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Sonnet 111 has the ony e4ampe of ‘ye’ as the secon" person# Be !ses thenominative ‘ye’ as acc!sative' ‘I ass!re ye’# Why not ‘I ass!re yo!’D ‘+e’ makesthe poem rhyme# Be co!" have rhyme" it !sin% ‘I ass!re thee’, $hich $o!"have been %rammaticay correct# Shakespeare chose poor %rammar rather thanthe famiiar secon" person# Be m!st not have been entite" to !se ‘thee’ to thisperson# Sonnet 195 is the soe instance of $here Shakespeare is himsefa""resse" in the secon" person by the other party' she a""resses him as ‘yo!’# ‘Ihate not yo!’# Whether the $oman concerne" is the /ark 0a"y or @nn Batha$ay,Shakespeare $o!" not have $ante" to be ‘yo!’ to a $oman he $as so cose to#

Table (

Person

Addressed

Addressed as

Thee/thou

Addressed as

You/Ye

No Second

Person

Total

Dark Lady 20 74% 0 0% 7 26% 27 18%

Fair Youth(s) 70 60% 27 23% 20 17% 117 76%

Rival Pot(s) 3 33% 6 66% 0 0% ! 6%

"haks#ar 0 0% 1 100% 0 0% 1 1%

$otal !3 60% 34 22% 27 18% 14 100%

&abe sho$s that 1;E of the sonnets "o not have a secon" person# .f the ;E$ith a secon" person, it is either the famiiar ‘theetho!’ or the forma (or p!ra)‘yo!ye’# It is never both in one sonnet#

&hree F!arters (7:E) of the sonnets are "eeme" to be to the *air +o!th(s)# &hese are sonnets 1 77 an" ;7 1:# Sonnets 7; ;: are to the iva -oet(s)#.f the


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Sonnet 111 remains p!in%# Who co!" be the ‘"ear frien"’ $ith $hom he $asnot on ‘theetho!’ termsD

3ay =17#

*or those $ho have never enco!ntere" ‘thee’ an" ‘tho!’ in their spoken 2n%ish,I’ e4pain my interest in the secon" person# When I $as born in 1

shakespeare's sonnets: use of the second person

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