Fair youth in Shakespeare’s Sonnets often initialized as Mr. W.H.

William Hart
Founded in the interpretation that the relationship was platonic, this theory suggests that the fair
youth was Shakespeare’s nephew, William Hart. The first son of Shakespeare’s sister, Joan Hart,
William was born in 1600 – 4 years after the death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet. With Hamnet
dead, William became Shakespeare’s male heir, leading some to believe that Shakespeare found
another son in William. Did Shakespeare write these sonnets, particularly the Procreation
sonnets, as guidance for his nephew – guidance that he was unable to pass to his own son?

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton

Perhaps the most popular theory, this one points to the identity of the youth being Henry
Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. As one of Shakespeare’s patrons, Wriothesley helped
Shakespeare, financially, to produce some of his works in the 1590s. ‘Venus and Adonis’ (1593)
and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ (1594) were both dedicated to Wriothesley, with the latter’s
dedication being excessively flattering towards the Earl: "The love I dedicate to your lordship is
without end ... What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have,
devoted yours." It must be appreciated that, at that time, intense praise of this sort may have been
common – the writer’s attempt of securing continued support from the patrons – but could there
be more weight to this particular acknowledgement?

William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke

Another of Shakespeare’s patrons and the final contender in this list, William Herbert, 3rd Earl
of Pembroke, also has a strong case for being Shakespeare’s fair youth. Other than possessing
W.H. initials, Herbert was 16 years Shakespeare’s junior and rejected marriage proposals
until he was 24 – reminiscent of the youth in the Procreation Sonnets. Further to this, Herbert
was infamous in Court for his affairs with Mary Fitton, who is rumoured to have been the
inspiration for the ‘Dark Lady’ in sonnets 127-154. The connections between Herbert and the
youth are obvious.