Sonnet CXXIX Analysis

The expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had
Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so;
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;
Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

.: Analysis of sonnet 128 :.

In sonnet CXXIX William Shakespeare contemplates the repercussions of desire and its fulfilment. In lust and its pursuit the soul is destroyed. Lust calls forth a medley of dark things: it “is perjur’d, murd’rous, bloody,” and overall “full of blame” as well as creating a world that is “savage, extreme, rude, cruel,” and one “not to trust.” In other words lust creates a primordial brutality often hidden in our ‘civil’ world. As the civil mind reawakens one realises the shamefulness of one’s action and henceforth cannot be glad of the lust’s acquisition. And so this object of brutality is “Enjoy’d no sooner but despised straight”. Thus the hatred and savagery turns inward as “past reason [is] hunted,” and “no sooner had, [then] hated…” Though one may be ashamed of one’s actions that does not prevent the blaming of others and so reason is seen “as a swallow’d bait”. Anger turns outward once again as this bait must have been “on purpose laid to make the taker mad…” The cycle of condemnation and disgrace continue and the object of one’s lust is “prov’d, a very woe” though “before, [it was] a joy propos’d”. Shakespeare concludes by saying that all mortals realise lust and desire are dangerous things and yet none heed this realisation and “shun the heaven that leads [them] to this hell.” and the destruction of themselves.

-Jesse Kern

| Posted on 2005-11-08 | by Approved Guest