How Does Shakespeare Present Disturbed Character in Measure for Measure and Sonnet 129 and 147?

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Shakespeare was a magician. You may think this is preposterous, however the way in which Shakespeare manages to bring his characters to life is simply stunning. He uses a vast range of techniques to bewilder, overwhelm and to encourage further study into the various connotations used. Some of his best literary pieces are his portrayals of disturbed characters; from solitary soliloquies to psychological torture, his use of the English language is phenomenal. Even the most esteemed of critics stand speechless when analysing his works of art. In this piece of writing, we will be exploring how Shakespeare expresses disturbed characters in, firstly, sonnets 129 and 147 and then in Measure for Measure. In these cases we will be dealing with sexually disturbed characters. First we will review the sonnets: Sonnet 129 is clearly saturated by disturbance. The persona is visible to be psychologically imbalanced and sexually confused. He describes someone who has succumbed to temptation as ‘mad’, thereby implying that he himself has lost all sanity. This is also clarified in sonnet 147 as he declares ‘my thoughts and my discourse are as a madman’s are’. The general tone of the sonnet being so personal also shows that someone with first hand experience ‘of lust in action’ has written this poem Further on down sonnet 129 the persona uses personification as he describes lust as ‘full of blame’. This is ludicrous, as an abstract feeling cannot be blamed for the offender’s actions. This shows that deep down he still has a feeling of innocence and feels as if he has done nothing wrong; this shows a much greater sense of madness and effectively, disturbance. Another contributing factor to a level of disturbance is paradox. Paradox is used plentifully in sonnet 147 to accentuate the conflicting emotions that are raging in the persona’s mind. It is used as the writer uses the
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