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. Sonnet 69 . . Ophelia's Beautiful Mind Sonnet . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Those parts of thee that the world's eye doth view, 02. Want nothing that the thought of hearts can mend; 03. All tongues (the voice of souls) give thee that 04. Uttering bare truth, even so as foes Commend. 05. Their outward thus with outward praise is crowned, 06. But those same tongues that give thee so thine own, 07. In other accents do this praise confound 08. By seeing farther than the eye hath shown. 09. They look into the beauty of thy mind, 10. And that in guess they measure by thy deeds, 11. Then churls their thoughts (although their eyes were kind) 12. To thy fair flower add the rank smell of weeds, 13. But why thy odor matcheth not thy show, 14. The solve is this, that thou dost common grow. |
. Sonnet 69 . . Ophelia's Beautiful Mind Sonnet . (paraphrased) 01. Your features that the public eye sees, 02. Lack nothing, that loving thoughts could think to improve upon; 03. All tongues (the voices of persons speaking truth) give you that due 04. Uttering plain truth, and even your competitors commend you in the same way. 05. Their outward speech, of those tongues, is thus topped off with outward praise, for you; 06. But those same voices, that thus give you the praise that's rightly yours, 07. Do, in derogatory tones, defeat that praise, 08. By imagining more than their eyes have seen, 09. They question the perfection of your mind, 10. And that, just guessing, they try to measure by your actions, 11. Then their thoughts become rude, (although their eyes were kind) 12. (And) They associate your beautiful appearance with a bad reputation, 13. But to the question of why your reputation doesn't match your appearance, 14. The solution is this: that you're associated with what's common. |
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Sonnet 69 Gloss
L1: parts = features. L1: the world's eye = the public eye. The eyes of the public. L2: Want = lack. L2: thought of hearts = loving thoughts. Thoughts from the heart. L2: mend = make better; improve upon. L3: end - Presumably a misprint in the original, since a rhyme with "view" is needed. Should probably be the word "due" as shown in brackets, above. L3: souls = persons. With the added concept that "souls" must speak truthfully. Conceptually, souls don't lie. L4: bare = plain. L4: foes = competitors. (Probably the best equivalent.) L4: Commend - The reason for the capitalization in the original is unclear. L5: Their - Is the correct word, as originally printed. Modern reprints that change it are editorial, not Shakespeare, and are wrong. It is intentionally ambiguous between "parts" in line 1, and "tongues" in line 3, but refers primarily to the latter. L5: crowned = topped; topped off. L7: accents = tones of voice. Reference to derogatory remarks (in contrast to the praise mentioned.) Praise and criticism are expressed in different tones of voice. L8: seeing = visualizing. Seeing with the mind's eye. Imagining. L9: look into = question. L9: beauty = perfection. L10: deeds = actions. L11: churls = become churlish. "Churls" is used as a verb here. "Churls their thoughts" = their thoughts become rude. L14: solve = solution; answer. L14: common - Has reference to the common stage, public theatrical performance. |
Sonnet 69 Notes
Sonnet 69 is about the Ophelia character in 'Hamlet,' as is the following Sonnet 70. Ophelia was probably played by the boy actor who's the addressee in Sonnet 20. Some sentiments in Sonnet 69 are mixed between the Ophelia character and the boy, particularly "foes" (competitors) in line 4. The boy had competitors for his roles, and there was competition from other playing companies. With respect to interpreting the Ophelia character in Hamlet, the Playwright, in this Sonnet, is indirectly cautioning us to be careful of having "common" thoughts about her. The Sexton Clown (Gravedigger) expresses "common" thoughts about her, by the way - so be cautious of that passage in Hamlet. ------- |
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