Fair, Kind, and
True:
One Message Read
Three Ways
More than a playwright, William Shakespeare is known for
his ingenuity for language; especially the art of the double meaning. Allegory,
metaphors, and puns are his specialty, and so it is in Sonnet 105. In this
sonnet, Shakespeare employs three words, “fair”, “kind”, and “true”, each with
three distinct definitions which act as commentary on nature, women, and the
upper class, and which all come back to a singular, cohesive meaning: that perfection
is holistic and rare.
The opening quatrain of Sonnet 105
is of a religious connotation, calling on language seen more often in sermons.
The speaker claims that talking about his love is not to be compared to
worshiping an idol – a blasphemous act – yet the speaker will continue to extol
his subject for the remaining ten lines. This is important to note for the
first definitions of “fair”, “kind”, and “true”. It is as follows:
“Let not my love be called idolatry,
Nor my belovèd as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises
be
To one, of one, still such, and ever
so.” (lines 1 -4)
For this example, “fair” in this
sonnet may be defined as “clear”, as in “Clearly, distinctly, plainly” (adv.
9.d). “Kind”, as it was understood more
so in Shakespeare’s time, as referring to the natural course or order of life;
defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as: “Of things, qualities, etc.:
Natural, in various senses…That
is, or exists, in accordance with nature or the usual course of things” (I. a.
1.a). Finally, “true” as to mean
“reliable” (A. adj. 1.d). These three
meaning transform the couplet of Sonnet 105 into: “[CLEARITY], [NATURE], and [RELIABLITY]
have often lived alone, / Which three, till now, never kept seat in one.”
(lines 13-14). Having opened with religious tones and even the three-in-one
image relative to the Trinity being itself religious, it’s interesting to
dissect the implications of these definitions. Nature, meaning the natural
order to the universe, is never both clear in its purpose, and reliable in its
deeds – much like the “mysterious ways” in which God has been said to work.
Bringing the three together would mean perfection and understanding in the
world.
There
are two other ways to deconstruct this sonnet, while keeping the central
message. One way is to view it as a commentary on the upper class (politicians),
and the other – more conventional reading of this sonnet – is as a commentary
on women. Substitute “fair” for “prosperity” (adv. 6.a) . “Kind” replaced
with “disposition”, as in: “The character or quality derived from birth or
native constitution; natural disposition, nature” (n. 3.a). “True” with
“trustworthy”, meaning “Of persons: Steadfast in adherence to a commander or
friend, to a principle or cause, to one's promises” (A. adj. 1.a). This modifies
the sonnet’s subject from the unseen forces of the universe to a satire of the
aristocracy; for what person who is both prosperous and of a good disposition,
is also trustworthy?
A final, and the most contemporarily
relevant, example of wordplay is revealed by defining “fair, kind, and true” as
“beautiful, sweet, and honest” respectively. Using the most common connotations
for these words, a surface reading of the sonnet makes it appear to be a love
poem directed toward a woman for the purpose of flattery. Yet, even in that
ordinary structure, Shakespeare has hidden his little joke which has applied to
all three examples demonstrated in this essay. The joke is in the rarity of a
person (a woman in this case) who could be attractive, good-hearted, and also morally
sound. Such a woman is historically the symbol of female perfection.
This humor is not only for our
amusement, however. It is the heart, the singular message, of the sonnet which
does not change no matter what context is placed on the words themselves:
perfection is holistic and rare – whether we are looking for it in politicians,
woman, or even God. It is a pilgrimage, and once found, deserving of immortality
(in this case, through the creation of a poem). The true genius of Shakespeare
is the universal truths in his works. Truths that are so well conceived that even
though the passage of time will change the meanings of the words, the purpose
and message remains.
