Universal experiences — those direct events or feelings that occur for most people, regardless of time, place, or environment — are the foundation of many pieces of literature, especially those sometimes described as "classics." Famous playwright and poet, William Shakespeare often centered his writing around universal experiences or emotions, and many literary critics claim that this is why his works have continued to be widely produced and studied for centuries after their original writing and publication.
One idea that appears frequently in Shakespeare's work is insecurity, and as a result, jealousy or envy. One way to approach understanding these universal ideas is to analyze how they are presented over the course of time or across major works, such as the overall collection of Shakespeare's sonnets. Read Sonnet 29 and then read Sonnet 78, which both address the concept of envy.
Write an essay analyzing how the speaker of each poem uses figurative language and imagery to create a specific tone toward insecurity and envy in each poem and how the tone changes across the poems. Be sure to include details from both poems about tone and the effect the shift has on the reader, especially in regard to envy.