Shakespeare differentiates between two types of love in his sonnet sequence. First his love only with spiritual intercourse towards the young man and his love only with physical intercourse towards the mistress. His friend steals away his mistress (referred to in sonnets 41 and 134) which indicates that Shakespeare had both loves at the same time, and with this betrayal lost both of them also. The relationship of the friend and the Dark Lady is fantastically described in sonnet 144, where Shakespeare writes about his former mistress:.
" . . . . , my female evil.
Tempteth my better angel from my side".
The angel stands for the young friend. So Shakespeare feels that not his friend but the lady was guilty in this betrayal. (Here I want to add that Mary Fitton later bore a son to William Herbert in 1601 . This fact may support the Mary Fitton theory).
The first four sonnets of this sequence introduce a particular artistic ordering, a posture (for example in sonnet 127 the poet proves that dark women are beautiful) which is to be followed up.
The early sonnets of this sequence, until 137 provide us a study of self depiction, and sonnet 129 is a good evidence for this. It is often called the great sonnet on lust. .
"Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame.
Is lust in action; and till action lust.
Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,.
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;.
Enjoyed no sooner but despiséd straight;.
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had,.
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait.
On purpose laid to make the taker mad.
Mad in pursuit, and in possession so;.
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;.
A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;.
Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well.
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell."œ.
The content and form of this sonnet is brilliantly united by the so called enjambment or run-on lines (for example lines: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8 and 13-14) which provide the sense of uncontrollable passion.
