Review Article

Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes

Volume: 4 Number: 1 June 19, 2025
EN TR

Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes

Abstract

This paper looks into the concept of ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47 by analysing them through the philosophical frameworks of Plato and Descartes. Both sonnets depict an internal conflict between the eyes and the heart, symbolizing different modes of perception and knowledge acquisition. Plato’s philosophy emphasizes vision as a metaphor for intellectual insight, where the true essence is perceived beyond physical appearances. In contrast, Descartes’ ocularcentrism focuses on the clarity and certainty of thought, where vision represents the mind’s capacity to discern truth from sensory deception. The analysis demonstrates how Shakespeare uses the metaphor of vision to explore themes of love, presence, and understanding, paralleling with Platonic notions of enlightenment through an intellectual vision and Descartes’ method of doubt leading to clear perception. This study not only highlights Shakespeare’s engagement with visual epistemology but also illustrates how these philosophical ideas have permeated poetic expression, offering a deeper understanding of the interplay between sight, emotion, and cognition in human experience.

Keywords

Epistemology, Ocularcentrism, Plato, Sonnets, Descartes, Descartes, Descartes, Descartes, Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare

Supporting Institution

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Project Number

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Thanks

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References

  1. Aristotle. (1984). De Anima (On the Soul). In J. Barnes (Ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 1, pp. 641-692. Princeton University Press.
  2. Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books.
  3. Classen, C. (1993). Worlds of Sense: Exploring the Senses in History and Across Cultures. Routledge.
  4. Debord, G. (2000). The Society of the Spectacle. Black & Red.
  5. Descartes, R. (2006). A Discourse on the Method. Oxford University Press.
  6. Descartes, R. (2008). Meditations on First Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
  7. Fineman, J. (1984). Shakespeare’s “Perjur’d Eye”. Representations, (7), 59-86.
  8. Foster, H. (Ed.). (1988). Vision and Visuality. Bay Press.
  9. Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The Story of Art. Phaidon Press.
  10. Heidegger, M. (2001). Being and Time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
APA
Baştan, A., & Güney, Y. (2025). Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes. BABUR Research, 4(1), 63-75. https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB
AMA
1.Baştan A, Güney Y. Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes. BABUR Research. 2025;4(1):63-75. https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB
Chicago
Baştan, Ajda, and Yiğit Güney. 2025. “Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes”. BABUR Research 4 (1): 63-75. https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB.
EndNote
Baştan A, Güney Y (June 1, 2025) Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes. BABUR Research 4 1 63–75.
IEEE
[1]A. Baştan and Y. Güney, “Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes”, BABUR Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 63–75, June 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB
ISNAD
Baştan, Ajda - Güney, Yiğit. “Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes”. BABUR Research 4/1 (June 1, 2025): 63-75. https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB.
JAMA
1.Baştan A, Güney Y. Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes. BABUR Research. 2025;4:63–75.
MLA
Baştan, Ajda, and Yiğit Güney. “Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes”. BABUR Research, vol. 4, no. 1, June 2025, pp. 63-75, https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB.
Vancouver
1.Ajda Baştan, Yiğit Güney. Ocularcentrism in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 46 and 47: Through the Lenses of Plato and Descartes. BABUR Research [Internet]. 2025 Jun. 1;4(1):63-75. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA25RY27WB