Shakespeare and Philips

Sonnet 130, or My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun, seems to have a lot to do with friendship. Shakespeare could not have said such things like "Coral is far more red than her lips' red." There must have been a very deep and understanding relationship between these two people. If Shakespeare and this woman were just lovers, Shakespeare probably would not have written such an honest poem.This woman he refers to might very well have been a friend of his mothers or an older lady. "My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground" (Damrosch et al. 1177). This could mean that she is very old and does not have the ability to walk properly. This also could lead to the conclusion that since this woman is old, she cannot put on any make-up or fix her hair anymore. This would explain lines four to eight. "If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses I see in her cheeks. And in some perfumes is there more delight than in the breath that

from my mistress reeks"( Damrosch et al. 1177). This woman may be losing her hair. That would account for the ‘black wires'. The elderly do not usually have any colour in their face. This could be why Shakespeare said h

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Shakespeare wrote of the honest truth and did not deny anything he wrote.

Their friendship is expressed in many ways also. Philips viewed the friendship between her and Lucasia as something special. "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any

she belied with false compare. The friendship that follows this love is expressed throughout the sonnet. This must explain why his mistress had bad breath. Her beauty is natural and wonderful and Shakespeare couldn't be more happy with that fact. "And as each part so well is knit, that their embraces ever fit: so friends are such by destiny and no third can the place supply"( Damrosch et al.

Friendship in Emblem tells the tale of how Philips forgot her isolation through an affair with another woman. They can be honest with each other and they consider each other equal. Philips presents a picture of equality and free movement on both sides. " Philips's friendship with this woman is extraordinary for her. She and Lucasia must have been lovers since Philips refers to their parts fitting together so well and the compass, to which Donne used as eroticism.

Approximate Word count = 1281
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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