Sonnet 96
Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;
youth
fault
influence
beauty
Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;
Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport;
Both grace and faults are loved of more and less;
Thou makest faults graces that to thee resort.
As on the finger of a throned queen
The basest jewel will be well esteem'd,
So are those errors that in thee are seen
To truths translated and for true things deem'd.
How many lambs might the stem wolf betray,
If like a lamb he could his looks translate!
How many gazers mightst thou lead away,
If thou wouldst use the strength of all thy state!
But do not so; I love thee in such sort
As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.
What It Means
People excuse the young man's faults on grounds of youth or high spirits — and his graces make his faults look charming. A prince's errors look like wisdom when he's beloved enough. But Shakespeare warns: don't use your influence carelessly. You could lead people astray through your example. The power to attract is also the power to corrupt.
Context
Part of the Fair Youth sequence. The repeated couplet from Sonnet 36 is one of the editorial puzzles of the 1609 quarto.
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