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W.h.
W.h.
The Earl of Southampton or Henry Wriothesley
The best candidate is his patron, Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, to whom Shakespeare dedicated Venus & Adonis and Lucrece. In Sonnet 29 he appears to be begging for the vain Earl's help at a time of great personal difficulty, probably during 1592/3. The proposition is evidenced by the unique congruence between Wriothesley's history and the story discernible in Shakespeare's Sonnets. Read more at the link below to The Biography in Shakespeare's Sonnets.
The sonnets themselves are not particularly controversial, but the scholarly debate about why and for whom they were written has stirred up some controversy. Many of the sonnets appear to be written to a young man, and in terms which are pretty affectionate for relationships between men. By today's standards that degree of affection only exists between gay men, which prompts some people to assert that Shakespeare must have been gay. On the other hand, some of the sonnets seem to be written to a woman, which would lead to the opposite conclusion. The possibility which is not often dwelt on is that the sonnets are no guide whatsoever to Shakespeare's sexuality. Elizabethans were aware of homosexuality (it is referred to in both Shakespeare's and Marlowe's work) but they did not necessarily expect even intense affection to lead to a sexual relationship. That is a conceit of our century.
W.h.
W.h.
The Earl of Southampton or Henry Wriothesley
The majority of Shakespeare's sonnets were addressed to a young man, often referred to as the Fair Youth, and a woman known as the Dark Lady. The sonnets explore themes of love, beauty, friendship, and betrayal through the relationships with these two characters.
The dark lady was the hypothetical person to whom some of Shakespeare's sonnets are addressed. She has nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet.
The best candidate is his patron, Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, to whom Shakespeare dedicated Venus & Adonis and Lucrece. In Sonnet 29 he appears to be begging for the vain Earl's help at a time of great personal difficulty, probably during 1592/3. The proposition is evidenced by the unique congruence between Wriothesley's history and the story discernible in Shakespeare's Sonnets. Read more at the link below to The Biography in Shakespeare's Sonnets.
The sonnets themselves are not particularly controversial, but the scholarly debate about why and for whom they were written has stirred up some controversy. Many of the sonnets appear to be written to a young man, and in terms which are pretty affectionate for relationships between men. By today's standards that degree of affection only exists between gay men, which prompts some people to assert that Shakespeare must have been gay. On the other hand, some of the sonnets seem to be written to a woman, which would lead to the opposite conclusion. The possibility which is not often dwelt on is that the sonnets are no guide whatsoever to Shakespeare's sexuality. Elizabethans were aware of homosexuality (it is referred to in both Shakespeare's and Marlowe's work) but they did not necessarily expect even intense affection to lead to a sexual relationship. That is a conceit of our century.
gandhi
Probably Shakespeare.The description of the mistress is consistent with detail elsewhere in the Sonnets and there is good evidence that the latter are essentially autobiography. For more on this concept read The Biography in Shakespeare's Sonnetsat the link below.
It is not by any means clear that Shakespeare had a "male lover" of any kind. He did write some of his sonnets to a man, for whom he cared deeply, but that is far from proof of any kind of sexual affair. This man has sometimes been identified with Henry Wriothesley, which is possible and perhaps even likely.
Qutbuddin Aibak
to whom did reverend king dedicate his prize