Sonnet 20 Over the centuries since the publication of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, they have been subjected to a vast amount of analysis. From this seemingly endless supply of critiques, I have selected two that deal particularly with Sonnet 20 and its somewhat sexual ambiguity. They both touch on the mystery of Shakespeare’s sexuality as well as the cultural significance of the seemingly homosexual undercurrents of the sonnet. According to Bruce Smith , this particular sonnet indicates a …showed first 75 words of 697 total…

…showed last 75 words of 697 total…Line 7 explicitly contains the word hew in hew and hews. This is significant as line 7 is the centre-line of the sonnet just as the play on hew/hue is central to the sonnet's theme. These two very different analyses focus on unique aspects of sonnet 20 and show the range and diversity of Shakespearian analysis. Bibliography Bruce Smith, Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare’s England: 1991 p249-51.) Nigel Davies, (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/4081/20c.html)