Sonnet 94: They That Have Power To Hurt, And Will Do None
They that have power to hurt, and will do none,
That do not do the thing they most do show,
Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,
Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow;
They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces,
And husband nature’s riches from expense;
They are the lords and owners of their faces,
Others, but stewards of their excellence.
The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet,
Though to itself, it only live and die,
But if that flower with base infection meet,
The basest weed outbraves his dignity:
For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;
Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.
Line 1:
“They that have power to hurt, and will do none,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Power to hurt: Ability to cause harm.
- Will do none: Choose not to act on it.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by describing people who have the power to harm others but choose not to use it.
Context:
This line sets the tone for the sonnet, introducing the theme of restraint and the moral virtue of those who choose not to harm others despite having the ability to do so.
Line 2:
“That do not do the thing they most do show,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Do not do: Refrain from acting.
- Most do show: Appear capable of doing.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that these individuals refrain from acting on the power they appear to possess, emphasizing their self-control.
Context:
This line highlights the contrast between appearance and action, praising those who choose not to use their power for harm.
Line 3:
“Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Moving others: Influencing or affecting others.
- As stone: Unmoved or unemotional.
Explanation:
The speaker describes these individuals as being able to influence others while remaining emotionally detached and unmoved themselves.
Context:
This line emphasizes the strength and self-control of those who can affect others without being swayed by their own emotions.
Line 4:
“Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow;”
Difficult words meaning:
- Unmoved: Emotionally unaffected.
- Cold: Detached or unemotional.
- Temptation slow: Resistant to temptation.
Explanation:
The speaker continues to describe these individuals as emotionally detached and resistant to temptation, further emphasizing their self-control.
Context:
This line reinforces the idea that these individuals possess a strong moral character, as they are able to resist temptation and remain unaffected by their own power.
Line 5:
“They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Inherit: Receive or are granted.
- Heaven’s graces: Divine blessings or favors.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that these individuals deserve to receive divine blessings because of their virtuous behavior.
Context:
This line reflects the speaker’s belief that moral virtue is rewarded by divine favor.
Line 6:
“And husband nature’s riches from expense;”
Difficult words meaning:
- Husband: Manage or conserve.
- Nature’s riches: Natural resources or gifts.
- Expense: Waste or depletion.
Explanation:
The speaker claims that these individuals wisely manage and conserve the gifts of nature, preventing waste and depletion.
Context:
This line highlights the responsible and prudent behavior of those who possess power but choose not to misuse it.
Line 7:
“They are the lords and owners of their faces,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Lords and owners: Masters or controllers.
- Faces: Outward appearance or expressions.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that these individuals have complete control over their outward appearance and expressions, reflecting their inner self-control.
Context:
This line emphasizes the idea that these individuals are in full command of themselves, both internally and externally.
Line 8:
“Others, but stewards of their excellence.”
Difficult words meaning:
- Stewards: Caretakers or managers.
- Excellence: Superior qualities or virtues.
Explanation:
The speaker contrasts these individuals with others, who are merely caretakers of their own virtues and do not possess the same level of self-control.
Context:
This line underscores the superiority of those who have power but choose not to use it for harm, compared to those who lack such restraint.
Line 9:
“The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Summer’s flower: A flower that blooms in summer.
- Sweet: Pleasant or delightful.
Explanation:
The speaker uses the metaphor of a summer flower to illustrate the beauty and sweetness that can be found in nature.
Context:
This line introduces a shift in the sonnet, as the speaker begins to explore the idea of beauty and its potential for corruption.
Line 10:
“Though to itself, it only live and die,”
Difficult words meaning:
- To itself: In its own existence.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that the summer flower exists only for itself, living and dying without affecting others.
Context:
This line reflects the idea that beauty can be self-contained and independent, without necessarily influencing the world around it.
Line 11:
“But if that flower with base infection meet,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Base infection: Corrupting influence or disease.
Explanation:
The speaker warns that if the summer flower is corrupted by a base infection, its beauty will be tainted.
Context:
This line introduces the theme of corruption and the potential for beauty to be spoiled by negative influences.
Line 12:
“The basest weed outbraves his dignity:”
Difficult words meaning:
- Basest weed: The lowliest or most common weed.
- Outbraves: Surpasses or outshines.
- Dignity: Worth or nobility.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that if the summer flower is corrupted, even the lowliest weed will surpass it in dignity and worth.
Context:
This line emphasizes the idea that corruption can diminish the value of even the most beautiful things.
Line 13:
“For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;”
Difficult words meaning:
- Sweetest things: The most beautiful or pleasant things.
- Sourest: Most unpleasant or corrupt.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes that the sweetest and most beautiful things can become the most unpleasant and corrupt through their actions.
Context:
This line reflects the speaker’s belief that beauty and virtue can be spoiled by negative actions or influences.
Line 14:
“Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.”
Difficult words meaning:
- Lilies: Symbols of purity and beauty.
- Fester: Decay or rot.
Explanation:
The speaker uses the metaphor of lilies that rot to illustrate how beauty, when corrupted, becomes far more unpleasant than common weeds.
Context:
This final line ties together the sonnet’s central theme: the potential for beauty and virtue to be spoiled by corruption, making them worse than ordinary and unremarkable things.
Overall Summary:
In Sonnet 94, Shakespeare explores the themes of power, restraint, and the potential for corruption. The speaker praises those who possess the power to harm others but choose not to use it, describing them as virtuous and deserving of divine favor. He contrasts these individuals with others who lack such restraint and emphasizes the importance of self-control and moral virtue. The sonnet also explores the idea that beauty and virtue can be spoiled by corruption, using the metaphor of a summer flower and rotting lilies to illustrate how even the most beautiful things can become unpleasant when tainted by negative influences. It is a meditation on the nature of power, beauty, and the moral choices that define us.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 94
Summary
Sonnet 94 explores the nature of restraint, self-control, and moral integrity, contrasting those who wield power responsibly with those who succumb to corruption. Shakespeare argues that true virtue lies not just in having power but in refraining from using it destructively. The final couplet delivers a striking warning: when those who seem the most virtuous fall into corruption, their downfall is more devastating than that of those who were always base.
The first quatrain presents the ideal of self-restraint:
- Those who “have power to hurt, and will do none” are the truly noble.
- They do not necessarily act according to how they appear (“do not do the thing they most do show”).
- They can influence others while remaining untouched themselves, like “stone,” unmoved by passion or temptation.
- This self-discipline makes them “slow to temptation,” meaning they resist moral weakness.
The second quatrain shifts to the idea of inheritance and ownership:
- These self-controlled individuals are worthy inheritors of divine grace (“They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces”).
- They “husband nature’s riches from expense,” meaning they manage their gifts wisely instead of squandering them.
- They are “lords and owners of their faces,” meaning they govern their own emotions and actions, while others merely act as stewards of their own qualities, unable to master themselves.
The third quatrain introduces the metaphor of a summer flower:
- A flower is beautiful and sweet, but it ultimately lives and dies for itself, without broader consequence.
- However, if it becomes infected or corrupted, it loses all its value and even a weed surpasses it in worth.
- This implies that those who possess virtue must remain pure; otherwise, their downfall is far worse than that of those who were never virtuous to begin with.
The final couplet delivers a powerful moral lesson:
- “For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds.”
- The most virtuous individuals, when they fall, become the most corrupted.
- “Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.”
- A once-beautiful thing that decays is more repulsive than something that was never beautiful at all.
Critical Analysis
1. The Power of Self-Restraint
Shakespeare contrasts inner control with external influence.
- The individuals described in the first quatrain “move others, yet remain as stone,” meaning they can inspire and lead, yet do not fall victim to the same emotions that drive weaker people.
- This presents a Renaissance ideal of stoic self-governance—those who can control their passions hold true power.
2. Ownership of One’s Character
The idea that these people are “lords and owners of their faces” suggests a deep autonomy over their own behavior.
- In contrast, others are mere “stewards”—they temporarily possess their virtues but do not control them.
- This implies that some people are naturally sovereign over themselves, while others are at the mercy of their impulses.
3. Corruption and the Fall from Grace
The poem warns that those who appear the most virtuous can become the most corrupt.
- The imagery of the infected flower suggests that beauty and goodness are fragile—once tainted, they are worse than what was always ugly.
- This aligns with the Christian idea of Lucifer’s fall—that the greatest downfall comes from those who were once closest to divinity.
4. The Danger of Hypocrisy
The opening lines suggest that some people seem virtuous but may not actually be so.
- “That do not do the thing they most do show” implies that those who project a moral image may not always act accordingly.
- This creates tension between appearance and reality, a key theme in Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Theme Analysis
1. Power and Responsibility
The sonnet suggests that true power lies not in the ability to act, but in the ability to withhold action.
- Those who resist the temptation to abuse their influence are the true inheritors of grace.
2. The Fragility of Virtue
Virtue, once corrupted, is more repugnant than vice.
- The final couplet warns that “sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds.”
- This suggests that a morally great person who falls from grace is more disgraceful than someone who was never virtuous to begin with.
3. Appearance vs. Reality
The contrast between “lords and owners of their faces” and mere stewards suggests that some people control their own destiny, while others merely seem to.
- The poem challenges whether external beauty or virtue is an accurate reflection of true goodness.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor: Power as Restraint
- “They that have power to hurt, and will do none.”
- Power is redefined as self-control, rather than the ability to dominate.
2. Paradox: Strength in Inaction
- “Who, moving others, are themselves as stone.”
- Those who influence others remain unchanged themselves.
3. Symbolism: The Summer Flower
- Represents fleeting beauty and goodness.
- If it meets infection, it loses all value—just as virtue, once corrupted, becomes worse than vice.
4. Contrast: Lilies vs. Weeds
- “Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.”
- Purity, when it rots, becomes more repulsive than something that was always base.
Conclusion
Sonnet 94 is one of Shakespeare’s most profound meditations on power, virtue, and moral responsibility. It presents the ideal of self-restraint as the highest form of strength, warning that those who fail to govern themselves ultimately fall harder than those who were never virtuous.
