Lies Keep Us Strong
In sonnet 138. William Shakespeare goes against the typical love sonnet and presents a
relationship that is based on lies, but is a better relationship because both parties recognize the
lies and choose to ignore them. Shakespeare knows his mistress is lying to him about being
unfaithful and about knowing that he is old. It is ironic that Shakespeare mentions her
unfaithfulness because he is her mistress so that means he is being unfaithful to his wife too. In
doing so, he realizes that he has a hard time admitting to himself that he is getting old and he
does not like having to realize this so he feels it is better to just keep lying to himself. He knows
that this is a relationship built on convenience so the lies do not really matter because they are
happy with the way things are. The relationship will continue with the lies because they still get
sex.
The sonnet opens up with Shakespeare telling that his mistress says she is “made of
truth.” This can be a pun that means she is a maid of truth or a virgin. We know that his mistress
would not be a virgin because they are having an affair together and the sonnet later gives
evidence to their sexual needs for each other. Shakespeare is basically saying that she is telling
the truth just as much as she is remaining a virgin.
He outright states that the sonnet is about his mistress and the lies that she tells. He gives
a very contradicting statement by saying “I do believe her, though I know she lies.” The word lie
can be taken in another context though. Shakespeare could mean that he knows his mistress is
lying with someone else and being unfaithful. He still chooses to believe her though so that he
does not have to accept that he lies to himself too.
In line 5, “thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,” Shakespeare uses the word
vainly which has a dual meaning. Vainly can mean foolishly. Shakespeare knows it is foolish to
think that his mistress thinks him young, but he continues to do it. He does not want to admit that
he is no longer young. He keeps his mistress around because she makes him feel young. Doubts
may fill his mind because he wonders why she stays with him when he knows that she knows he
is getting old. His mistress keeps him young.
Vainly can refer to vanity. Shakespeare is feeling very confident because he has a young
mistress that does not tell him he is old. She makes him feel young and keeps up the pretense that
he is young. He lives for the lie because he hates to admit he is getting old. Shakespeare has the
perfect setup. He is an older guy with a young mistress and his mistress never calls him old.
Shakespeare knows he is lying to himself, but he is too vain to accept it.
“Simply” in line 7 could be meaning simple or innocence. The fact that she has a “false-
speaking tongue” is nothing more than that. It also refers to the Shakespeare acting simple
