Sonnet 134: So Now I Have Confessed That He Is Thine
So now I have confessed that he is thine,
And I my self am mortgaged to thy will,
Myself I’ll forfeit, so that other mine
Thou wilt restore to be my comfort still:
But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,
For thou art covetous, and he is kind;
He learned but surety-like to write for me,
Under that bond that him as fast doth bind.
The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,
Thou usurer, that put’st forth all to use,
And sue a friend came debtor for my sake;
So him I lose through my unkind abuse.
Him have I lost; thou hast both him and me:
He pays the whole, and yet am I not free.
Sonnet Line 1:
“So now I have confessed that he is thine,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Confessed: Admitted or acknowledged.
- He is thine: He belongs to you.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by acknowledging that the beloved has claimed ownership of the speaker’s friend (“he”). This line introduces the theme of possession and control, suggesting that the beloved’s influence extends beyond the speaker to their friend. The tone is resigned, setting the stage for a lament about the speaker’s loss.
Sonnet Line 2:
“And I my self am mortgaged to thy will,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Mortgaged: Pledged or bound.
- Thy will: Your control or desire.
Explanation:
The speaker admits that they themselves are bound to the beloved’s will, likening their relationship to a mortgage, where the speaker is indebted to the beloved. This line underscores the speaker’s sense of entrapment and submission. The tone is pained, highlighting the speaker’s emotional captivity.
Sonnet Line 3:
“Myself I’ll forfeit, so that other mine”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Forfeit: Surrender or give up.
- Other mine: My friend, who is like another part of myself.
Explanation:
The speaker offers to surrender themselves entirely to the beloved if the beloved will release their friend. This line suggests a selfless desire to protect their friend, even at the cost of their own freedom. The tone is sacrificial, emphasizing the speaker’s loyalty and compassion.
Sonnet Line 4:
“Thou wilt restore to be my comfort still:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Restore: Return or give back.
- Comfort still: Continued source of comfort.
Explanation:
The speaker pleads for the beloved to return their friend, who serves as a source of comfort. This line underscores the speaker’s dependence on their friend for emotional support. The tone is pleading, highlighting the speaker’s desperation.
Sonnet Line 5:
“But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Wilt not: Will not.
- Be free: Be released or liberated.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that the beloved will not release their friend, and their friend will not seek freedom. This line suggests a complex dynamic where both the beloved and the friend are complicit in the speaker’s suffering. The tone is resigned, emphasizing the speaker’s sense of helplessness.
Sonnet Line 6:
“For thou art covetous, and he is kind;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Covetous: Greedy or possessive.
- Kind: Generous or compassionate.
Explanation:
The speaker explains that the beloved is greedy and possessive, while their friend is kind and selfless. This line highlights the contrast between the beloved’s cruelty and the friend’s generosity, underscoring the speaker’s emotional conflict. The tone is critical, emphasizing the speaker’s frustration with the beloved.
Sonnet Line 7:
“He learned but surety-like to write for me,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Surety-like: Acting as a guarantor or co-signer.
- Write for me: Vouch for or take responsibility for me.
Explanation:
The speaker describes how their friend acted as a guarantor, taking responsibility for the speaker’s debts or obligations. This line suggests that the friend’s kindness has led to their own entrapment. The tone is regretful, highlighting the speaker’s sense of guilt.
Sonnet Line 8:
“Under that bond that him as fast doth bind.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Bond: Legal or emotional obligation.
- As fast doth bind: Binds him just as tightly.
Explanation:
The speaker explains that the friend is now bound by the same obligation that binds the speaker, suggesting that the friend’s kindness has led to their own suffering. This line underscores the speaker’s sense of responsibility for their friend’s plight. The tone is sorrowful, emphasizing the speaker’s regret.
Sonnet Line 9:
“The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Statute: Law or decree.
- Thy beauty: Your beauty.
Explanation:
The speaker accuses the beloved of using their beauty as a form of legal or moral authority to enforce their control. This line suggests that the beloved’s beauty is a tool of manipulation. The tone is accusatory, highlighting the speaker’s resentment.
Sonnet Line 10:
“Thou usurer, that put’st forth all to use,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Usurer: A moneylender who charges excessive interest.
- Put’st forth all to use: Lends everything at high interest.
Explanation:
The speaker compares the beloved to a usurer, suggesting that they exploit others for their own gain. This line underscores the speaker’s view of the beloved as greedy and manipulative. The tone is critical, emphasizing the speaker’s disdain.
Sonnet Line 11:
“And sue a friend came debtor for my sake;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sue: Take legal action against.
- Debtor: Someone who owes a debt.
Explanation:
The speaker accuses the beloved of taking legal or emotional action against their friend, who became indebted for the speaker’s sake. This line highlights the speaker’s sense of guilt and responsibility for their friend’s suffering. The tone is remorseful, emphasizing the speaker’s regret.
Sonnet Line 12:
“So him I lose through my unkind abuse.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Unkind abuse: Harsh or cruel treatment.
Explanation:
The speaker laments that they have lost their friend due to the beloved’s harsh treatment, which the speaker feels responsible for. This line underscores the speaker’s sense of loss and guilt. The tone is mournful, highlighting the speaker’s sorrow.
Sonnet Line 13:
“Him have I lost; thou hast both him and me:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Hast: Have.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that they have lost their friend, and the beloved now has control over both the speaker and their friend. This line underscores the speaker’s sense of total defeat and entrapment. The tone is resigned, emphasizing the speaker’s helplessness.
Sonnet Line 14:
“He pays the whole, and yet am I not free.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Pays the whole: Bears the full burden.
- Not free: Still trapped or indebted.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes that their friend bears the full burden of the beloved’s demands, yet the speaker remains unfree. This line underscores the speaker’s sense of injustice and entrapment. The tone is despairing, highlighting the speaker’s emotional devastation.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 134
Summary
In Sonnet 134, the speaker resigns himself to the fact that his beloved male friend has been taken by the Dark Lady. He admits that the friend belongs to her now and that, in a way, he too is “mortgaged” to her will, meaning he is emotionally indebted to her.
He offers a kind of bargain: if she returns the friend to him for comfort, he will willingly sacrifice himself. However, he immediately acknowledges that she will not agree, nor will the friend free himself from her. The Dark Lady is described as greedy and possessive, while the friend is depicted as loyal but trapped.
The sonnet continues with a financial metaphor. The speaker suggests that his friend originally pledged himself as a surety (a legal guarantee) for the speaker’s bond to the Dark Lady, but instead of being free, he has become equally bound. The Dark Lady is compared to a usurer, someone who loans money at excessive interest. She lends out her love only to claim more in return, using beauty as her “collateral.”
In the final couplet, the speaker laments his total loss. His friend has been taken, and he himself remains emotionally enslaved. The friend pays the full price of love (by surrendering to the Dark Lady), yet the speaker remains just as trapped, still suffering under her control.
Critical Analysis
This sonnet extends the love triangle dynamic introduced in Sonnet 133, where the speaker felt tormented by both the Dark Lady and his friend. In Sonnet 134, the speaker formally concedes defeat—his friend has fallen for the Dark Lady, and he can do nothing about it.
Shakespeare employs legal and financial metaphors throughout the sonnet, reinforcing the idea that love, particularly in this situation, is a kind of transaction rather than a freely given emotion. The speaker portrays himself as a debtor who has mortgaged his own freedom for love, while his friend has become an unwilling co-signer in this emotional contract.
The sonnet paints the Dark Lady as a selfish, controlling figure. She is “covetous” (greedy) and a “usurer”, meaning she lends love at an unfair cost. This imagery emphasizes how she exploits both men, keeping them emotionally dependent on her while ensuring neither can truly be free.
The final couplet contains a paradox—even though the friend has “paid” for the love of the Dark Lady, the speaker is still suffering. This suggests that love is a trap with no escape, reinforcing the bleak, cynical tone of the sonnet.
Theme Analysis
- Love as a Transaction
- The sonnet presents love in terms of financial debt and legal contracts. The speaker, his friend, and the Dark Lady are entangled in a web of emotional “loans,” “bonds,” and “forfeits,” suggesting that love in this context is not freely given but rather exploited for personal gain.
- Jealousy and Betrayal
- The speaker is tormented by the fact that his beloved friend has also fallen under the Dark Lady’s control. This deepens his sense of loss, as he feels betrayed not only by the mistress but also by his friend.
- Power and Possession in Love
- The Dark Lady is portrayed as possessive and manipulative, someone who “owns” the speaker and his friend. Love is not reciprocal; it is about dominance and subjugation.
- Inevitability of Suffering in Love
- The speaker recognizes that, no matter what happens, he remains a prisoner of love. Even if his friend has now taken on the burden, the speaker does not feel free—his suffering continues.
Literary Devices
- Extended Financial Metaphor
- Shakespeare constructs an elaborate financial and legal analogy to describe love:
- “Mortgaged to thy will” → The speaker is indebted to the Dark Lady’s desires.
- “The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take” → The Dark Lady enforces her claim like a lender demanding repayment.
- “Thou usurer, that put’st forth all to use” → She is a usurer, exploiting love for her own gain.
- “He pays the whole, and yet am I not free” → Even though the friend has given in, the speaker is still trapped in suffering.
- Personification
- The speaker gives legal and financial concepts human-like qualities:
- “The statute of thy beauty” → Beauty is depicted as something enforceable like a law.
- “Sue a friend came debtor for my sake” → The Dark Lady metaphorically sues the speaker’s friend, forcing him into emotional debt.
- Paradox
- The final couplet presents a contradiction: the friend has “paid the whole” (sacrificed himself to the Dark Lady), yet the speaker is “not free.” This highlights how love’s suffering is inescapable, even when transferred to another person.
- Irony
- The friend originally acted as a “surety” (someone who guarantees another person’s debt), but instead of securing the speaker’s freedom, he becomes just as enslaved. The irony emphasizes the inescapable, destructive power of love.
- Alliteration
- “So now I have confessed that he is thine” → The repeated “s” sounds create a resigned, sighing tone, reinforcing the speaker’s sorrow.
Conclusion
Sonnet 134 is a deeply cynical poem about love, betrayal, and entrapment. The speaker resigns himself to the fact that his beloved friend has also fallen victim to the Dark Lady’s control. He uses financial and legal imagery to depict love as a debt that can never be repaid, portraying the Dark Lady as a greedy usurer who exploits both men for her own pleasure.
The final paradox—where the friend has paid the price but the speaker remains suffering—suggests that love is not just painful, but a trap that no one can truly escape. This bleak perspective makes Sonnet 134 one of Shakespeare’s most bitter and despairing explorations of love’s destructive power.
