Ambiguity in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138
Abstract: Shakespeare’s sonnet 138 is a poem about a relationship full of deception and lies, which is distinctively mirrored in its language. The poem is characterised by a highly complex, ambiguous and sometimes even contradictory use of linguistic structures. In order to highlight and make understandable the many ambiguities and textual difficulties found in the poem, we try to analyse it with the combined tools of linguistics and literary studies. We show that the poem can be read in two coexisting ways: one presenting a negative and bitter attitude of the speaker towards his relationship, and one in which he perceives mutual deception ...
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