Two Faces of Love: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 147

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the dual representations of love in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 and Sonnet 147, aiming to delineate the contrasting themes of idealized, eternal love and obsessive, destructive passion. Research Design: The study employed qualitative textual analysis to explore how poetic devices, metaphors, and thematic structures in each sonnet reveal lived experiences and subjective meanings embedded in the text. Methodology: Rooted in the literary and philosophical tradition, this research is guided by a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, allowing the researcher to interpret the emotional and existential dimensions of love as presented in the sonnets. Central to this approach is the understanding that meaning is not embedded solely in the text but emerges through the interpreter’s reflective engagement with it—highlighting the active role of the reader in co-constructing meaning. Results: Sonnet 116 is revealed to portray love as unwavering and transcendent, akin to a moral compass or spiritual constant, while Sonnet 147 exposes love as a pathological desire that leads to emotional disintegration and madness. These divergent depictions are interpreted through the philosophical lenses of Heidegger, Gadamer, and Ricoeur, emphasizing that meaning is constructed not solely within the text but through the interpreter’s lived experience. The results underscore Shakespeare’s profound ability to depict love as both redemptive and ruinous, revealing the poet’s deep engagement with the emotional polarities of human relationships. The findings suggest that the sonnets not only explore the surface feelings of love but also serve as phenomenological sites where love’s ethical, spiritual, and psychological implications are disclosed. Conclusion: Thus, the study concludes that Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 147 offer enduring insights into the human condition, capturing the contradictory nature of love as both an anchor and a tempest—one that elevates the soul and one that consumes it.