William Shakespeare is known for being the greatest English writer of all time He has

written a multitude of plays and poems. From satirical comedies to the most dismal tragedies, his
work would always keep the audience engaged, even in the present day where we cannot always
translate the use of Old English into our slang. He was not for an age, but for all time!
(Johnson) a quote describing how Shakespeare is simply timeless. He wrote countless sonnets,
one hundred and fifty-four to be exact, which were published in 1609. (Sonnet CV) Plunge
into the background of Sonnet CV (105) by taking a glance at the irony behind the phrases, the
personified words, and the mood of the overall poem.
Sonnet CV is so much more that what appears to be a clich poem about his lover. A
novice reader of Shakespeares work would think that the three characteristics mentioned
throughout the sonnet are merely describing his lover. Actually, Fair, kind, and true. represent
the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Fineman) Shakespeare was said to
hold clandestine Catholic affiliations. (Hunter) Which is quite controversial because in many of
his works, he ridicules religion, some very obvious, others require more thought. By saying
Fair, kind, and true have often lived alone, which three till now never kept seat in one. he is
ignoring the fact that Christians think that their God is all three when Shakespeare thinks that his
lover is the only one to truly hold the cherished traits. She is more godlike than any other god.
The poet infuses irony into his sonnet in such a pretty way, not at all mordant like most
sources of irony found in the modern day. Shakespeare is writing about the Fair Youth, which is
quite sardonic because Shakespeares wife and mother of his three children, Anne Hathaway,


was eight years older than him. (William Shakespeare) Also, he opens the poem refusing that
his love should be considered idolatry but yet he sings songs to her and praises her. Idolatry is
worshipping another being or object other than the true god, Shakespeare slowly comes to reality
with himself and obliquely admits to committing some form of loose idolatry. In the last lines of
his sonnet, Fair, kind, and true. (Shakespeare) have always been there separately but then
again, all three exist collectively in his woman.
Shakespeare personifies his words throughout the poem, mostly revolving around the
reoccurring phrase of Fair, kind, and true. (Shakespeare) He paints a picture of these words
living alone, miserably away from each other where they should be. This emphasizes how he has
never found one being that embodies all three of these attributes because they are difficult to find
on their own, let alone all together. And in the last line of the sonnet, Shakespeare has found
someone who symbolizes the chair that the three features finally are able to rest upon
communally. He also talks about his love always being kind, he does not literally mean that
his love is just nice, he means it is sweet and gentle which will last forever.
Sonnet one hundred and five has a very appreciatively alleviated mood to it, with the
smallest dash of sacrilege. Shakespeare is content to find someone who is his faultless lover but
if you look at these words in a more religious viewpoint, the mood swirls around in a completely
dissimilar direction. He thinks so highly of this woman, he adores her with that same form of
indirect idolization. Admiration of an object or other being like it is a god is a sinful act in the
Christian denominations. He loves her and thinks of her as a Catholic would to their god. He is


not concerned with who he offends while proclaiming that his lover is superior to any god out
there.
In conclusion, William Shakespeare was a figure of ambiguity and vagueness which he
instills into his work with the use of his flowery terminology and Old English. There will always
be a message much more meaningful than the surface of his writings, you just have to take a
closer look.