Shakespeare's Sonnets
First page of the first edition @British Library

Shakespeare's Sonnets

On this page you will find various multimedia resources on the Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint.

I encourage you to delve in, focusing perhaps first on this very rich conference on the latest translation of the Sonnets and their meaning, featuring J.-M. Desprats & A.-M. Miller-Blaise (the most interesting segments are 11:38-14:58, on the specificities of the Shakespearian sonnet - the video begins there; 26:00-31:57 on the feminine ending's impact on diction; 34:11-37:48 on the Sonnets' themes; from 1:06:03 a discussion of the Sonnets' subversive nature):

 

Then listen to this illuminating masterclass on saying the Sonnets out loud, with two masters of their craft, Trevor Nunn directing and David Suchet performing:


 

You can now dip into the Royal Shakespeare Company "Sonnets in Solitude" sequence recorded during the 2020 lockdown (most Sonnets are covered if you go to their YouTube link).

The British Library published a comprehensive essay on sexuality and the Sonnets which should help you navigate the pitfalls of the topic.

And finally, a France Culture broadcast on the Sonnets in general, with A.-M. Miller-Blaise as guest speaker, a good refresher when you're brushing your teeth for instance!

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