# CXLII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

The speaker confesses that his love is a sin, yet accuses the beloved of hating that sin while being guilty of similar transgressions. He argues that the beloved's own faults should make her less reproachful, and warns that if she withholds pity, she may be denied pity in return.

## Themes in this chapter

### Lust and Morality

The speaker equates his love with sin and accuses the beloved of hypocrisy, highlighting the moral conflict between desire and virtue.

### Truth and Deception

The beloved's 'seal'd false bonds of love' and the speaker's own sinful loving point to mutual deception and the blurring of truth in romantic relationships.

## Character check-ins

### William Shakespeare

The speaker of the sonnet, confessing his sinful love and accusing the beloved of hypocrisy.

### Love

Personified as the sin the speaker feels, and as a force that binds both speaker and beloved.

## Key lines

> Love is my sin and thy dear virtue hate, Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving

My love is a sin, and your precious virtue is hatred—hatred of my sin, which is itself rooted in sinful loving.

_The speaker sets up a paradox: his love is sinful, but the beloved's virtuous hatred is also based on sinful love._

> Robb’d others’ beds’ revenues of their rents.

You have stolen the pleasures that belong to others' marriages.

_The speaker accuses the beloved of adultery, mirroring his own transgressions._

> If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide, By self-example mayst thou be denied!

If you want to receive pity but refuse to show it, you may be denied pity by your own example.

_A warning that withholding compassion will lead to being treated the same way._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters/cxlii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters