My mistress' failures

"My mistress' eyes" by William Shakespeare

 

Pointing out his mistress' imperfections, Shakespeare initially comes across as a jerk, but in reality, he aims to humanize his mistress. He places her feet firmly on the floor, "My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground," (Shakespeare, 885) and by pointing out her flaws and her less-than-perfect qualities, he makes her real. In this way he can appreciate her as a woman, not as a fantasy. Rather than being swept away in lust by her beauty and perfection, he proves that he knows better than to set her on this pedestal and is able to see her and love her for who she really is.