William Shakespeare – Sonnet 20  

In the present text I am going to analyze William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 in order to bring to surface some possible peculiarities with Oscar Wild.

Starting with the layout it makes clear that the sonnet is arranged into a long stanza of fourteen lines of different length. Although the language is quite archaic, the reader can easily catch the general meaning; nevertheless this sonnet has to be interpreted due to the several interpretations of it. For instance, some believes it is a clear admission of William Shakespeare’s homosexuality because of the powerful emotions the writer displays, which are indicative of a deep and sensual love.

The first six lines of Sonnet 20 deal with the portrayal of Youth’s feminine beauty. The opening line, “A woman’s face, with Nature’s own hand painted”, immediately establishes the sonnet’s theme: William Shakespeare is discussing the effeminate beauty of the Fair Youth. After that, in lines 9-14, the poet proclaims to be glad to let women enjoy the “manly – gifts” that God has given his friend. William Shakespeare seems to be satisfied to love the young man in a spiritual way. In the concluding couplet the rhymester makes a distinction between the physical love among a man and a woman, and the spiritual, Platonic and non-physical love he harbors for the Youth.  

Oscar Wild in his short story, “The Portrait of Mr. W. H.”, took the line “A men in hew all Hews in his controlling” as a clue to the identity of the mysterious Mr. W. H. to whom the sonnet was dedicated. W. H. stayed for the actor Willie Hughes, whom Oscar Wilde identifies as the real – life inspiration for the Fair Youth. It follows that there could be a connection between William Shakespeare and Oscar Wile.

In conclusion, I believe the reader can not only think about the novelist’s homosexuality but also interpret the sonnet as a desire of both William Shakespeare and Oscar Wild of not being forgotten. Hence the two writers may have in common their intent to be immortal, to remain forever young, because they are afraid of death and thus they look for eternity.