Shakespeare’s Use of Rhetorical Devices: A Complete Guide
Learn how Shakespeare used rhetorical devices to shape emotion, persuasion, and dramatic tension in his plays. A complete and accessible guide.
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Shakespeare’s Use of Prose: A Complete Guide
Discover how Shakespeare used prose to reveal character, status, and emotion in his plays. A complete and accessible guide.
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Shakespeare’s Sources and Influences
Explore the classical texts, chronicles, folktales, and literary traditions that shaped Shakespeare’s plays and poems — and how he transformed old stories into timeless works.
Sonnets
Sonnet 65: Since Brass, nor Stone, nor Earth, nor Boundless Sea
A complete analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65, exploring time’s destructive power and poetry’s ability to preserve beauty.
Sonnets
Sonnet 60: Like as the Waves Make Towards the Pebbled Shore
A full analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 60, exploring time’s relentless motion and poetry’s power to resist decay.
Sonnets
Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth
By William Shakespeare QUICK SUMMARYSonnet 138 explores adult love through the lens of mutual deception. Both lovers knowingly lie —
Sonnets
Sonnet 55: Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments
Explore Shakespeare’s Sonnet 55, a powerful meditation on poetry’s ability to outlast monuments and preserve love.
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Shakespeare’s Use of Blank Verse: A Complete Guide
Explore how Shakespeare used blank verse to shape rhythm, emotion, character, and dramatic tension in his plays. A complete, accessible guide.
Poems
A Lover’s Complaint
Read A Lover’s Complaint by William Shakespeare with full text, quick summary, and in-depth analysis of betrayal, desire, and emotional vulnerability.
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Editorial Standards
Learn how WShakespeare.com maintains accuracy, clarity, and consistency in every article, from textual integrity to analysis and Shakespeare scholarship.
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Patronage and Publication History
Guide to patronage and publication history for students and readers of Shakespeare.
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The Quarto and Folio Editions
Learn the difference between Shakespeare’s quarto and folio editions — how they were printed, why they differ, and how these early books preserved many of his plays.