Sonnet 139: O! Call Not Me To Justify The Wrong
O! call not me to justify the wrong
That thy unkindness lays upon my heart;
Wound me not with thine eye, but with thy tongue:
Use power with power, and slay me not by art,
Tell me thou lov’st elsewhere; but in my sight,
Dear heart, forbear to glance thine eye aside:
What need’st thou wound with cunning, when thy might
Is more than my o’erpressed defence can bide?
Let me excuse thee: ah! my love well knows
Her pretty looks have been mine enemies;
And therefore from my face she turns my foes,
That they elsewhere might dart their injuries:
Yet do not so; but since I am near slain,
Kill me outright with looks, and rid my pain.
Line 1:
“O! call not me to justify the wrong”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Justify: Defend or explain.
- Wrong: Harm or injustice.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by pleading not to be asked to defend or explain the harm caused by his beloved’s unkindness. This line sets the tone for the sonnet, which explores the pain of betrayal and the speaker’s emotional vulnerability.
Line 2:
“That thy unkindness lays upon my heart;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Thy: Your (archaic or poetic form of “your”).
- Unkindness: Cruelty or lack of affection.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges the emotional pain caused by his beloved’s cruelty. This line emphasizes the depth of his suffering and his inability to rationalize her actions.
Line 3:
“Wound me not with thine eye, but with thy tongue:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Thine: Your (archaic form, used before a vowel).
- Wound: Hurt or injure.
Explanation:
The speaker asks his beloved to be direct with her words rather than using subtle, hurtful glances. This line reflects his desire for honesty, even if it is painful.
Line 4:
“Use power with power, and slay me not by art,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Power with power: Direct force rather than subtlety.
- Slay: Kill or destroy.
- Art: Cunning or deceit.
Explanation:
The speaker urges his beloved to be straightforward in her actions rather than using deceit to hurt him. This line highlights his frustration with her indirect cruelty.
Line 5:
“Tell me thou lov’st elsewhere; but in my sight,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Thou lov’st: You love (archaic form).
Explanation:
The speaker asks his beloved to admit that she loves someone else, but to refrain from flaunting it in front of him. This line reveals his desire for honesty tempered by respect for his feelings.
Line 6:
“Dear heart, forbear to glance thine eye aside:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Forbear: Refrain or hold back.
- Glance thine eye aside: Look away or show interest in someone else.
Explanation:
The speaker pleads with his beloved not to look at others while she is with him. This line underscores his pain at her divided attention and his longing for her loyalty.
Line 7:
“What need’st thou wound with cunning, when thy might”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Need’st: Need (archaic form).
- Cunning: Deceit or subtlety.
- Might: Power or strength.
Explanation:
The speaker questions why his beloved uses deceit to hurt him when she has the power to do so directly. This line reflects his frustration with her indirect cruelty.
Line 8:
“Is more than my o’erpressed defence can bide?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- O’erpressed: Overwhelmed or crushed.
- Bide: Endure or withstand.
Explanation:
The speaker admits that his defenses are no match for her power, emphasizing his vulnerability and helplessness in the face of her actions.
Line 9:
“Let me excuse thee: ah! my love well knows”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Excuse thee: Defend or justify you.
Explanation:
The speaker offers to make excuses for his beloved, acknowledging that she is aware of her power over him. This line reveals his willingness to forgive her, even as he suffers.
Line 10:
“Her pretty looks have been mine enemies;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Pretty looks: Attractive appearance.
Explanation:
The speaker admits that his beloved’s beauty has been a source of pain for him, as it attracts others and divides her attention. This line highlights the bittersweet nature of his love.
Line 11:
“And therefore from my face she turns my foes,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Foes: Enemies or rivals.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that his beloved turns her attention away from him to others, making them his rivals. This line underscores his sense of betrayal and loss.
Line 12:
“That they elsewhere might dart their injuries:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Dart: Aim or direct.
- Injuries: Hurts or harms.
Explanation:
The speaker implies that his beloved directs her affections elsewhere, causing him pain. This line reflects his anguish at her divided loyalty.
Line 13:
“Yet do not so; but since I am near slain,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Near slain: Almost destroyed or killed.
Explanation:
The speaker pleads with his beloved not to continue her actions, as they are causing him immense pain. This line reveals his desperation and emotional fragility.
Line 14:
“Kill me outright with looks, and rid my pain.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Outright: Completely or directly.
- Rid: Free or relieve.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes by asking his beloved to end his suffering directly, rather than prolonging it with her indirect cruelty. This line encapsulates the sonnet’s theme of emotional pain and the desire for resolution.
Overall Context and Themes:
Sonnet 139 explores the pain of betrayal and the speaker’s emotional vulnerability in the face of his beloved’s cruelty. The poem delves into themes of honesty, deceit, and the power dynamics in a relationship. The speaker’s plea for directness and his willingness to forgive highlight the complexity of love and the human desire for connection, even in the face of suffering. The sonnet’s vivid imagery and emotional intensity make it a powerful exploration of the contradictions of love.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 139
Summary
In Sonnet 139, the speaker pleads with his mistress to stop hurting him with her subtle, deceptive actions. He does not ask her to be faithful, nor does he demand that she cease her infidelity—instead, he begs her to at least stop pretending. Rather than wounding him indirectly by glancing at other men in his presence, he asks her to strike him with words, not with deceitful looks.
He acknowledges that her beauty has been his greatest weakness, as her eyes attract others and lead them away from him. He even tries to rationalize her behavior, saying that she only looks away so that her beauty does not hurt him further. However, in the final couplet, he drops this self-deception and begs her to stop prolonging his suffering—if she intends to betray him, she should do it openly and end his torment at once.
Critical Analysis
This sonnet continues Shakespeare’s disillusioned portrayal of love, particularly in his relationship with the Dark Lady. The poem reveals the speaker’s internal struggle—he knows his mistress is unfaithful, but instead of demanding loyalty, he bargains for less painful deception. His emotions are conflicted: he resents her actions but is still deeply drawn to her, as seen in his self-deluding excuses for her behavior.
The sonnet suggests that the mistress is not just cheating on him, but that she is doing so in a way that makes him suffer more—by subtly acknowledging other men in his presence. The speaker’s pain is intensified because she uses artifice and manipulation rather than simply being direct about her betrayal. He even pleads for a more honest form of cruelty, asking her to strike him outright rather than prolonging his emotional agony.
The tone of the poem shifts from hurt and pleading to frustration and resignation, showing how the speaker is trapped between love and pain. The final couplet marks a moment of emotional exhaustion, where he essentially tells his mistress: If you’re going to hurt me, do it quickly—don’t drag it out.
Theme Analysis
- Infidelity and Betrayal
- The poem explores the anguish of knowing a lover is unfaithful.
- The mistress’s glances toward other men symbolize her betrayal.
- The speaker is not angry that she is unfaithful, but that she is making him suffer unnecessarily.
- Love as Pain
- Love is depicted as something deeply painful, where the speaker is both emotionally wounded and powerless.
- The imagery of wounds and killing reinforces love as a destructive force.
- Self-Deception
- The speaker tries to justify his mistress’s actions, claiming she only turns away to protect him from pain.
- However, this is a desperate attempt to rationalize what he knows is her deliberate cruelty.
- Power and Submission in Love
- The speaker acknowledges that he is at the mercy of his mistress.
- He is powerless to stop her infidelity, so he simply asks for a more merciful form of betrayal.
Literary Devices
- Metaphor of Wounding and Killing
- The mistress’s looks and actions are compared to weapons:
- “Wound me not with thine eye, but with thy tongue” → Her gazes are like daggers, and he prefers to be killed quickly by words rather than slowly tormented.
- “Kill me outright with looks” → He begs her to end his suffering swiftly instead of letting him die a slow emotional death.
- Personification
- His mistress’s beauty is personified as an enemy, turning her looks into weapons that attract others and harm him.
- Irony
- The speaker acknowledges his mistress’s cruelty, yet he is still devoted to her.
- He sees through her deceptions, yet he tries to justify them.
- Alliteration and Repetition
- “Power with power” → Emphasizes the imbalance in their relationship, where the mistress holds absolute control.
- “Kill me outright” → The harsh, direct wording in the final couplet reinforces his desperation.
Conclusion
Sonnet 139 is a deeply emotional and conflicted poem about love, betrayal, and the agony of being deceived. The speaker does not expect faithfulness, but he does wish for a less painful betrayal—one that does not involve subtle torment through deceitful glances.
The sonnet portrays love as an emotional battlefield, where the speaker feels powerless under the weight of his mistress’s beauty and manipulation. His pleas for mercy and rationalizations of her behavior show his internal struggle between love and self-respect.
The final lines reveal a moment of exhaustion and surrender—he no longer fights against her betrayal but wishes for a quicker, more merciful end to his suffering. This tragic resignation is a hallmark of Shakespeare’s later Dark Lady sonnets, where love is no longer an uplifting force, but a source of torment.
