Ugh, stupid technology. My computer crashed with my essay, so excuse it for being late.
During Shakespeares life, he created 37 plays that were credited to him, and about 154 sonnets. The first 130 were written to a man, and 24 were written to a mystery woman, whom researchers have dubbed the "Dark Lady"
During Shakespeares time, being white, thin, and having pale hair was the epitome of beauty. But during his poems, he describes her as having dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes, as well as being permiscuous. No one knows who she is, but there have been a few women who have been suggested: Mary Fitton, Emilia Lanier(Bassano), Luce Morgan, Marie Mountjoy and Shakespeare's landlady.
The most likely candidate is Emilia Bassano. Recently, a miniature has been found of her, and she looks like most like what Shakespeare described in his poems,
"In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame:
For since eacn hand hath put on nature's power,
Fairing the foul the art's false borrow'd face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no hloy bower,
But is profaned if if not lives in disgrace,
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and the mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem:
Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,
That every tongue says beauty should look so"
During Shakespeares life, he created 37 plays that were credited to him, and about 154 sonnets. The first 130 were written to a man, and 24 were written to a mystery woman, whom researchers have dubbed the "Dark Lady"
During Shakespeares time, being white, thin, and having pale hair was the epitome of beauty. But during his poems, he describes her as having dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes, as well as being permiscuous. No one knows who she is, but there have been a few women who have been suggested: Mary Fitton, Emilia Lanier(Bassano), Luce Morgan, Marie Mountjoy and Shakespeare's landlady.
The most likely candidate is Emilia Bassano. Recently, a miniature has been found of her, and she looks like most like what Shakespeare described in his poems,
"In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame:
For since eacn hand hath put on nature's power,
Fairing the foul the art's false borrow'd face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no hloy bower,
But is profaned if if not lives in disgrace,
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and the mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem:
Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,
That every tongue says beauty should look so"
Emilia Bassano had many affairs in court while she was there, and finally married to Alfonso Lanier, which was thought to be an unhappy marriage. She was described as having black hair, and her cousins were said to have had black skin.
No one knows who this dark beauty was, but it's obvious that she had Shakespeare wrapped around his little finger.
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