“Belied with False Compare”

By Alex Luna

William Shakespeares “Sonnet 130,” discusses the cliche of comparing one’s significant other to something grandiose, by bringing these notions back to reality and say that no, one’s significant other is no this grand beautiful thing but that doesn’t make them not special. In the video in which Catherine Tate mockingly recites the piece to her teacher (David Tenant), the poem takes on a very comedic tone. The sonnet’s meaning is enhanced when we look at Tate and Tenants’ interaction as a reflection of the poem itself. 

The poem begins with a statement, “my mistress’ eyes are nothing like the suns.” The speaker is saying that there isn’t much uniqueness to their lover’s eyes, certainly, not of that of the suns. The poem continues with comparisons like this and deconstructing them, continuing with “Coral is far more red than her lips red.” Here, the speaker again says that their significant other features are nothing special to marvel at. When considering the video, Tenants’ role as the teacher seems to take on the idea of these grandiose attitudes towards poetry and things. He calls Shakespeare’s work genius and says that Tate is not compared to Shakespeare’s work. Immediately, we see a correlation between the scene and the poem, with that declaration that something is not this concept which is far greater.  Tate’s character than follows up with a complete recitation of the poem, to the shock of Tenants character. 

At the poems volta, identified in lines 13-14, in which the speaker states “And yet by heaven I think my love as rare.” The speaker implies that even though their lover is not this grand goddess, they are still special and unique in the eyes of the speaker because of this love. When Tates character suddenly beings reciting the poem, that in a sense is like the Volta of the poem, where a sudden shift occurs. Sure, Tate’s character most likely wouldn’t be a genius compared to Shakespeare, but this scene corroborates the idea that despite subjects like the lover in the poem aren’t so grandiose, our own idiosyncrasies and uniqueness still stand out and make things more meaningful. Her ability to mockingly recite the piece also reflects the conventions of sonnets, like some exclusive club when really Shakespeare is accessible to everyone. Sonnets throughout history have been confined to these set rules, rules that would be seen as blasphemous if broken by a bit. Shakespeare himself transformed the sonnet form into one we know today. If he himself chose to challenge these rules than Tate’s character has every right to criticize it as well. Sonnets are accessible to everyone, and shouldn’t be constrained to such rules.

The final lines only continue this trend. “As any she belied with false compare.” If you look at Tate herself and Shakespeare, there is no point in comparing, just like there is no point in questioning or comparing Petrarchan Sonnets to Shakespearean sonnets, they are each unique in their own right. One has the ability to challenge and reshape whatever they wish, and in comparing you are just creating a new divide that shouldn’t be there. Just like mistress eyes and the sun, there is no point. Just like calling their lover a Goddess, there is no point. The speaker knows their lover is not a goddess, but they still love her. Because poets of the past made these initial comparisons, significant others got put on a pedestal, so by Tate’s character breaking this sonnet down, we return to the very nature of reality. One in which people, while not perfect, are still unique and beautiful in every way. While one may be grander than the other, there is beauty in the other as well.