Who is W.H in Shakespeare's Sonnets

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William Shakespeare is the greatest sonneteer in English literature not only of the Elizabethan Age but of all ages. In all, he wrote one hundred and fifty-four sonnets. Of these, sonnets numbering from one to one hundred and twenty-six have been addressed to his friend and patron, W.H. Now, it is matter of great discussion that who is W. H in Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

The Identity of W.H in Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Sonnets of Shakespeare, numbering from 1 – 126, are addressed to a young friend to whom Shakespeare speaks on different topics and in varying moods. These sonnets are lyrical expression of the author’s perception of friendship and devotion to his love and of their experiences and ideals.

Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton and William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke are generally sponsored by critics for solving the problem of W. H. Tyrwhitt and Farmer were the first two critics to think seriously about W. H. They thought seriously, only their conclusion are invalid. According to Farmer, W. H refers to William Harte, son of Joan who was Shakespeare’s sister. It is now conclusively proved that Harte was born in 1660. And by no stretch of imagination can Harte be put up as a probable candidate. Tyrwhitt and Malone drew their inference from one single premise. The only line in Sonnet 20 –

“A man in hue, all hues in his controlling”, because their clue. They behaved that ‘hues’ meant Hughes, for in the Elizabethan period, the name Hughes was also spelt as Hues. And if the surname could be discovered, the Christian name will present no difficulty either; Hughes became William Hughes.

Oscar Wilde’s views on W. H in Shakespeare’s Sonnets:

Oscar Wilde with his vivid and creative imagination has inspired William Hughes with life and personality. Oscar Wilde imagined Hughes to be a young actor, but no such name has been traced in the records of contemporary performances. Hughes was a boy-actor, who played the roles of women of Shakespeare’s plays. In the original edition of the sonnets, the spelling of ‘hues’ was Hews in capital as well as in italics. Wilde quotes from Sonnet 53 –

“What is your substance, where of are you made,

That millions of strange shadows on you tend?

Since everyone hath, everyone, one shade,

And you, but one, can every shadow lend”

Oscar Wilde concludes that ‘shadow’ is connected with the stage and definitely refers to Hughes’ acting many parts. Why, then, does Shakespeare ask him to marry, when his own marriage was a wreck? Wilde explains that marriage refers to Hughes’ marriage with his Muse. Andre Gide has fully endrosed Wilde’s theory. “Wilde is the only, not merely plausible, but possible interpretation”. Butler, Percy Allen, Symons, Viereck and even Dowden accepted William Hughes. Percy Allen went a step further. ” Yes, Hughes, who was the actor son of Lord Oxford and Queen Elizabeth “. And Butler while accepting William Hughes, said that he was not the boy-actor but a sea-cook.

W. C. Hazlitt’s views on W. H in Shakespeare’s Sonnets:

W. C. Hazlitt sponsors the candidature of W. H as Henry Willobie and it is not a bad idea if we try to know something about him. Hadrian Dorrell found among the papers of Henry Willobie a poem “Willobie His Avisa”, a poem in 72 cantos. In the prefatory verses – In Praise of Willobie his Avisa, signed Vigilantius Dormitanus, there are a few lines which deserve to be quoted:

” And yet Tarquin plucked his glistering grape,

And Shakespeare points poor Lucrece rape”.

There is a section in the poem to which the attention of the critics has been drawn; and in that section there is a record of the attempted seduction of Avisa, by H. W. i. e Willobie himself. Foiled in his attempt, Willobie seeks the advice of W. S, who is presumably William Shakespeare. Willobie made some passing references to Shakespeare which throw light on the life of Shakespeare. The arguments put forward by the sponsors of Henry Willobie are, no doubt, ingenious, and their conclusion is that Henry Willobie is W. H.

The latest addition to the list of contestants is William Hatcliffe. In 1964, three distinguished scholars – Dover Wilson, Rowse and Leslie Hotsin gave us their findings on the questions of W. H and the Dark Lady. All the three, as their predecessors have done, claim that no relevant clue has been neglected, that might lead to the revelation of these figures, who are still shrouded in obscurity.

Is W. H, the Earl of Southampton:

There is a keen contest between Southampton and Pembroke. Both have very strong supporters. But it is quite clear that it is the Earl of Southampton, whose claims are very strong indeed. Born in 1573 and died in 1624, the third Earl of Southampton whose name was Henry Wriothesley, and he succeeded his father in 1581.

Shakespeare’s loyalty to Southampton is unquestioned. In 1593, Shakespeare dedicated his “Venus and Adonis” to Southampton. “The Rape of Lucrece” was also dedicated to Southampton. Southampton seems to be the original of the portrait of Adonis in Shakespeare’s “Venus and Adonis”. Again in Sonnet 78, Shakespeare called Southampton his literary patron.

It has also been pointed out that the word ” Will” has been used repeatedly in Sonnets 135, 136 and 143 and this “will”, as Thomas Tyler holds definitely refers to William. If so, William may be William Herbert or even William Hughes or anybody whose first name is William; and Southampton is Henry.

Supporters of Southampton say that if the Sonnets were written in the early or even mid-nineties, Pembroke could not have been asked to marry, for he would then be only twelve or thirteen years of age, while Southampton would be eighteen. Then again, Pembroke came to London in 1598, and even if Shakespeare got in touch with him in that year, most of the sonnets must have been written by that time.

Sidney Lee at first believed in the impersonal theory ; then he shifted his ground and sponsored Pembroke, and at long last he clung to Southampton. Supporters of the claims of Pembroke always extol his beauty and run down Southampton. But there are more than thirty canvases, miniatures and engravings, still extant, which show the angelic features of Southampton.