Shakespeare Level 2 Knowledge: PART 2

Understanding the Purpose of the Final Couplet in a Shakespearean Sonnet

Your students will be asked to explain the purpose of the final couplet of the sonnet performed. They must make reference to their own chosen sonnet.

The answer to this question will obviously depend on the sonnet they have chosen, but it will probably fall into one of these two categories:

1) A VOLTA

Sometimes the final couplet is a “twist in the tale” - the message takes a turn or reveals something new. There is often a shift in tone, feeling or perspective.

Here are some examples:

In Sonnet 34 the final two lines are:

“Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,

And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.”

The whole sonnet has been very critical of the lover that has withheld affection. It is only in the final couplet that the poet admits that their lover’s tears have redeemed the harm, and their feelings have softened. So it’s a ‘volta’ which means that the sonnet changes direction. It suddenly becomes more forgiving and shows a different side to the speaker.

In Sonnet 130 the final two lines are:

“And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.”