William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 120 is a compelling meditation on the themes of guilt, remorse, and the complex dynamics of love. Written in the Shakespearean sonnet form, it follows the traditional structure of 14 lines, divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhymed couplet. The sonnet explores the speaker’s reflection on a past unkindness and the subsequent emotional fallout of both parties involved. Through a series of elegant metaphors and rhetorical questions, Shakespeare captures the painful intricacies of human relationships and the emotional price of love.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 120
That you were once unkind befriends me now,
And for that sorrow which I then did feel
Needs must I under my transgression bow,
Unless my nerves were brass or hammered steel.
For if you were by my unkindness shaken
As I by yours, you’ve passed a hell of time,
And I, a tyrant, have no leisure taken
To weigh how once I suffered in your crime.
O, that our night of woe might have remembered
My deepest sense how hard true sorrow hits,
And soon to you as you to me then tendered
The humble salve which wounded bosoms fits!
But that your trespass now becomes a fee;
Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 120
Sonnet 120 adheres to the classic Shakespearean sonnet form, characterized by its iambic pentameter and an ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme. The speaker uses this structured form to convey the structured yet complicated feelings of guilt and reflection.
The tone of the sonnet is primarily one of melancholy and regret. The speaker addresses the unkindness of the past with a sense of subdued sorrow, but there is also a hint of self-reproach and recognition of personal culpability. Despite this somber tone, there is an underlying acknowledgment that the emotional turmoil caused by unkindness is not merely one-sided but mutually shared. The shift between personal guilt and a broader reflection on mutual suffering highlights the delicate balance between love and pain in Shakespeare’s work.
Analysis of Sonnet 120
Lines 1–4
That you were once unkind befriends me now,
And for that sorrow which I then did feel
Needs must I under my transgression bow,
Unless my nerves were brass or hammered steel.
In the opening quatrain, the speaker introduces the central theme of the poem: the mutual unkindness between him and the addressed lover. Shakespeare begins with a paradoxical statement, claiming that the past unkindness, which once caused him pain, now “befriends” him. This suggests that, in hindsight, the suffering caused by the unkindness has allowed the speaker to reflect on the event with a certain emotional distance. The phrase “under my transgression bow” reveals the speaker’s acknowledgment of his own wrongdoing, suggesting that this regretful reflection leads him to recognize the role he played in the sorrow. The comparison of the speaker’s emotional vulnerability to “nerves of brass or hammered steel” suggests that only a person devoid of sensitivity would not be moved by the transgression.
Lines 5–8
For if you were by my unkindness shaken
As I by yours, you’ve passed a hell of time,
And I, a tyrant, have no leisure taken
To weigh how once I suffered in your crime.
The second quatrain moves to the recognition that both parties involved have suffered, though in different ways. The speaker imagines how the lover would have felt had the roles been reversed—if the lover had been the one to experience the speaker’s unkindness. The phrase “you’ve passed a hell of time” suggests that the lover’s suffering would have been immense, emphasizing the idea that emotional pain is often underestimated or ignored by the one who inflicts it. The speaker calls himself a “tyrant,” indicating that his behavior was harsh and unforgiving, and he admits that he failed to consider the lover’s feelings during the time of their conflict. This admission of fault highlights the selfishness or tunnel vision that can arise from personal emotional pain.
Lines 9–12
O, that our night of woe might have remembered
My deepest sense how hard true sorrow hits,
And soon to you as you to me then tendered
The humble salve which wounded bosoms fits!
The third quatrain introduces a longing for empathy. The speaker wishes that the “night of woe”—the period of suffering following the unkindness—might have been remembered differently. He expresses a desire for both parties to have shared a mutual understanding of their sorrow, acknowledging that both had been wounded but failed to recognize each other’s pain at the time. The “humble salve” is a metaphor for emotional healing, where the speaker wishes that the compassion (the salve) that could have healed his wounds would have been offered in equal measure to the lover’s wounds. This longing reflects the speaker’s desire for reconciliation, where mutual empathy and tenderness could have soothed both hearts.
Lines 13–14
But that your trespass now becomes a fee;
Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.
The final couplet wraps up the central paradox of the poem. The speaker introduces the idea that the lover’s “trespass”—their past unkindness—has now become a “fee,” or a price. In a way, the suffering caused by the lover’s unkindness has now placed the speaker in a position of power, allowing him to “ransom” or redeem the lover’s transgressions. Similarly, the speaker acknowledges his own wrongdoing and asserts that it must also be atoned for. This reciprocal nature of forgiveness—the idea that one person’s pain can redeem another—suggests that true emotional healing can only occur when both parties accept responsibility for their actions and emotions.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 120 is a rich exploration of the complexity of human relationships, particularly the ways in which guilt, remorse, and emotional suffering can intertwine. The speaker’s reflections on mutual unkindness, personal culpability, and the desire for reconciliation offer a poignant meditation on love and pain. Through its tightly structured quatrains and evocative metaphors, the sonnet moves from personal regret to a broader understanding of shared suffering, ultimately culminating in a vision of mutual redemption. The speaker’s self-awareness and yearning for empathy, paired with the idea of reciprocal atonement, make this sonnet a profound statement on the delicate balance of love and sorrow.
