“What does it mean to be a dark lady?”

“What does it mean to be a dark lady?” This question sits at the center of most conversations regarding William Shakespeare’s complicated dark lady sonnets. And, while the discourse surrounding his mistress’ complexion is useful, it only scratches the surface of a much bigger issue. Instead of examining the speaker/Shakespeare’s descriptions of the dark lady, perhaps it would be more beneficial to investigate his relationship with her, as that also gives us, the readers, some clues into her elusive status. If these sonnets are an expression of his love for the dark lady, it is in those proclamations that we will find the most substantial evidence for who she is as a woman. Also, more importantly, one that has been undeniably manipulated by Shakespeare and his ego. 

For the purposes of this argument, I believe it is best to focus on lines from Sonnets 141, 145, and 150. In Sonnet 141, Shakespeare alludes to the fact that he feels ashamed of the love he has for the dark lady. Referring to his mistress, he asserts, “But my five wits nor my five senses can / Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee, / Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man, / Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be” (Sonnet 141, 9-12). By saying that he loves her, despite his intuition telling him not to, Shakespeare is framing his feelings as unnatural. On top of that, he also states that he has become her “slave” or “vassal,” which, besides its racial and socioeconomic connotations, underscores the idea that loving her makes him less of a man, or person. 

Throughout the work, Shakespeare makes a habit out of lowering himself in an effort to validate his improbable love for the dark lady. According to the poet, he is a victim of her allure. Shakespeare is tortured, and in Sonnet 145, he asks his mistress for absolution. She takes pity on his miserable state and, in turn, assures her love for him. In the final lines of the sonnet, Shakespeare writes, “ ‘I hate,’ from hate she threw, / And saved my life, saying ‘not you’ ” (Sonnet 145, 13-14). Even though the sonnets highlight the dark lady’s unfortunate reputation, Shakespeare manages to put the burden of their relationship solely on himself. His pain over her appearance overshadows any heartache she may have due to his subconscious repulsion. Shakespeare practically forces his mistress to forgive him for this loathing.

So, while these sonnets are supposed to be a declaration of the passion Shakespeare has for the dark lady, it is obvious that he is also invested in how the outside world perceives her. Sonnet 150 copes with Shakespeare’s awareness of society’s opinions on his mistress. He says, “O! though I love what others do abhor, / With others thou shouldst not abhor my state: / If thy unworthiness raised love in me, / More worthy I to be beloved of thee” (Sonnet 150, 11-14). In these lines, Shakespeare highlights the dark lady’s “unworthiness” and how it inspires him to be a better lover. What is interesting about this sonnet is that it is framed to counter the unpleasant narrative surrounding the couple’s relationship. However, Shakespeare makes no effort to castigate those who hold prejudice against his mistress. Rather, he turns her plight into a compliment for himself by saying that, despite the vitriol, he loves her.

Yet, this love does not make Shakespeare a better person.

The dark lady is not proof of his morality. If she is a Black woman, which I believe to be true, then Shakespeare is participating in a longstanding tradition by using her audacity to solidify his own power. He berates, exploits, and gaslights her to a point where his feelings can only be defined as love, but they are not. Everyone wants to know, “What does it mean to be a dark lady?” Well, to me, a dark lady is a woman who accepts a man’s madness as her own, in an attempt to salvage her own dignity, whether real or imagined. This is who Shakespeare has written about and it is important to challenge the reason why.

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My meditation on Shakespeare’s dark lady sonnets is an attempt to reconcile the dark lady’s race with her treatment as a woman, and how the two are one in the same.

Although the poet’s physical descriptions of her are often cited as reason to believe she is a Black woman, I wanted to approach the issue in a way that deflects the conversation from the color of her skin and towards Shakespeare’s reception of it.

I wanted to see if there was any merit in looking at the sonnets as a collection of love poems, instead of solely focusing on any indicators of race. Given this information, my hope is that it will challenge readers to think about who in society would receive this kind of “love,” and if that person would be white.

So, I started off with the question, “What does it mean to be a dark lady?” To answer that, you have to know about more than just her dun-toned breasts. What is she willing to do for Shakespeare’s affection and why is she willing to do it? Ultimately, there is something very insidious about the language he utilizes to describe their relationship and it needs to be addressed. In the grand scheme of things, I just want people to recognize that the dark lady is a figure who represents a very specific kind of woman, and if we are all being honest with ourselves, I do not think it is difficult to picture what she looked like.