General analysis: This sonnet after careful examination takes on a rather different meaning by the end. It starts off by describing the two loves of the poet; one that is comforting and one that is of despair. This is where the young man and the Dark Lady are introduced as a good spirit and a bad spirit. Also, the device of Psychomachia is introduced, in which personified Virtues and Vices attempt to influence the central character. This can be compared to Marlowe's Dr. Faustus in which a "Good Angel" and an "Evil Angel" try to manipulate the main character (Shakespeare-online). The second quatrain is where the sonnet begins to change from being directly based on the poet's connection to the two spirits, to the spirits going against each other. The Dark Lady is attempting to tempt the young man into her dark side, taking away his purity. This is the first instance of a sexual reference, and slowly the rest of the sonnet takes on this nature. By the third quatrain, the poet is beginning to get suspicious of his beloved, wondering if he mya have gone to the bad side with the Dark Lady. Towards the end of this quatrain is where the most sexual references are provided. Hell could have the ordinary mortal significance or could refer to being in the dark lady's company. (JO put in your general analysis of the part you did). It is questioned by many people validity of the references to the young man. In earlier sonnets, he has been described as smelling worse than weeds, and is a lily that festers. He has been described as "misusing his power" and has "played the speaker false" (reference). These references occur up to around sonnet 94. However, there has also been questions of whether or not the sonnets are placed in the order that Shakespeare had wanted, and not in the order of someone else, leading people in different directions about the interpretations about the sonnets (SHAKESPER). It is also apparent in this sonnet that the blame for the affair between the Dark Lady and the young man is all on the Dark Lady herself.
