Shakespeare's Sonnet Sequence
Shakespeare's sequence is at odds with Petrarchan conventions to the point of being anti-Petrarchan in many cases. The overriding character of course is the Speaker/Poet. Instead of the indifferent, cold, chaste, unattainable young woman, however, Shakespeare's speaker is initially (and for a long series of sonnets) obsessed with a beautiful young man who evidently treats him with affection or disregard, as his whim dictates. The speaker is, however, so enamored of the young man that he not only bears his suffering but also makes excuses for the young man's mistreatment of him. Critics speculate that the young man may have been a patron of Shakespeare: usually, the Earl of Southhampton or the Earl of Pembroke are the leading candidates. There are those who believe that the relationship between the speaker and the young man is a homosexual relationship. Those critics are in the minority, however, and usually, Shakespeare's Sonnet #20 is used as evidence that the relationship is not homosexual.
The Dark Lady
Instead of following the convention of fair, pale, blonde beauty established by the Petrarchans, the Dark Lady of Shakespeare's sonnets is just that: dark in every respect. In some of the sonnets to her, the speaker makes it plain that his dark lady is every bit as beautiful as the idealized Petrarchans' ideal beauties, and all the more so because she is unembellished, so much more real, human. Was she any more real than Petrarch's Laura? We don't really know, but there are several candidates for whom the Dark Lady might have been.
The Rival Poet
The third character in Shakespeare's sonnets is the so-called rival poet. This is a poet the speaker believes is much better at extolling the praises of the young man in verse than he is. It is yet another situation where the speaker stands helplessly by as the young man's affections are diverted elsewhere. As with the Dark Lady, we can't be sure just who this Rival Poet was (if he existed at all), but the candidates are as follow: Christopher Marlowe (there is even a theory that Marlowe wrote the Rival Poet sonnets and that Shakespeare was the rival), Michael Drayton, Samuel Daniel, George Peele, Thomas Nash, Thomas Lodge, Richard Barnfield, Barnaby Rich, Robert Greene, Edmund Spenser, George Chapman, and Ben Jonson. Who is the frontrunner in this case? That depends on whom you rely. Some favor Ben Jonson, but for the most part, George Chapman is the leading candidate.
Common Themes In The Sonnets And The Plays
As far as common themes to be found in Shakespeare's sonnets go, look for the idea of the importance of immortality, of achieving continuance through offspring and through art, particularly verse. Look at love as a compensating factor for the failures and disappointments in the Speaker's life. Notice the attention given to the temporary nature of all things and the need to think for the future and for the sake of posterity. Look at the element of time as the great destroyer, notice the preference of nature/the natural over art/the embellished/the artificial, and so on.
A Proposed Organizational Plan For The Sonnets
Sonnets 1-17: The poet calls upon the Fair Young Man to marry and thus "preserve" his beauty.
Sonnets 18-128: The poet speaks on various topics and occasions and in several moods. The sense of intimacy increases from sonnet to sonnet, and admiration is changed into love. At first, the poet is shy and finds it difficult to speak in the presence of his friend. He finds himself able to express himself only in writing (Sonnet 23). The poet, separated from the youth by the necessities of travel, keeps him constantly in mind (Sonnet 27). The poet is an outcast, but the thought of his love comforts him (Sonnet 29). The poet cautions his friend not to honor him publicly if he is to avoid scandal (Sonnet 36). The friend steals the poet's mistress but is forgiven (Sonnets 40-42). The poet wears the youth's picture at his breast as he goes on a journey (Sonnets 47-49). Because others seek the patronage of the youth, especially a poet whose verse bears "proud, full sail," the poet becomes jealous (Sonnets 78-86). The poet rebukes the youth for wantonness (Sonnet 96). Away for a spring and a summer, the poet returns to the Fair Young Man (Sonnets 97-98). The poet congratulates the youth on his release from a "confined doom" (Sonnet 107). The poet again is reconciled with the youth after an absence (Sonnet 109). The poet is disgusted with his profession (Sonnets 110-111). The poet offers a defense against the charge of ingratitude (Sonnet 117). The poet expresses his regrets at having given away the "tables" the youth had given to him (Sonnet 126).
Sonnets 129-154: The next twenty-six sonnets are addressed to The Dark Lady, who has become an obsession with the poet. She is described as being a skilled player of virginals. She is untrue to him. She is of loose moral character. She is physically unattractive. She is false to her own husband. But the poet cannot help loving her. The collection ends with two conventional love sonnets on Cupid.