Erne, Lukas. “Shakespeare's 'Ever-Fixed Mark': Theological Implications in Sonnet 116.” English Studies, vol. 81, no. 4, 9 Aug. 2010, pp. 293–304., doi:10.1076/0013-838x(200007)81:4;1-F;FT293.
Lukas Erne purposes that Shakespeare’s reference to love as an ‘ever-fixed mark’ in Sonnet 116 alludes to the Catholic belief in an ‘indelible’ mark being left on the soul after receiving three particular sacraments: Holy Orders, Baptism, and Confirmation (297). These sacraments permanently change a Christian’s supernatural disposition, while the other sacraments imprint no ‘indelible mark’ upon the soul and therefore don't follow Christians after death (298). Erne claims that in this sonnet, Shakespeare argues love to be a transcendental, spiritual marriage rather than a form of worldly desire (299). Erne explores research about Shakespeare’s history with Catholicism and other interpretations of what the ‘ever-mixed mark’ is in order to provide historical context and evidence for his claim, and elaborates on the importance of the ‘fair youth’ whom Shakespeare addresses 126 of his sonnets to (303). The love the speaker has for the ‘fair youth’ remains constant throughout the series of sonnets, which correlates with Erne’s argument that the purpose of Sonnet 116 is to portray the constant condition of transcendental love (302).
-- Grace Kranz
