Numerical values of Alphabet

THE GEMATRIC VALUES OF SONNET 136

A. The Riddle of Sonnet 136

B. Gematria of initial and final letters of lines

C. The Gematric Values of Sonnet 136

D. Shakespeare's knowledge of the SATOR Square

 

Values of 14 Lines

1.      Even though hardly anyone expects Shakespeare to use overall gematria, the result of all 14 lines is quite baffling and worth discussing:

1. If (15) thy (50) soule (68) check (29) thee (37) that (47) I (9) come (34) so (32) neere, (45)

10 (10) 35 (35) 366 (366)

2. Sweare (67) to (33) thy (50) blind (39) soule (68) that (47) I (9) was (40) thy (50) Will, (52)

10 (20) 36 (71) 455 (821)

3. And (18) will (52) thy (50) soule (68) knowes (81) is (27) admitted (73) there, (54)

8 (28) 36 (107) 423 (1244)

4. Thus (65) farre (46) for (37) loue, (50) my (35) loue-sute (112) sweet (68) fullfill. (85)

8 (36) 39 (146) 498 (1742)

5. Will, (52) will (52) fulfill (74) the (32) treasure (102) of (20) thy (50) loue, (50)

8 (44) 35 (181) 432 (2174)

6. I (9) fill (37) it (28) full (48) with (57) wils, (59) and (18) my (35) will (52) one, (32)

10 (54) 31 (212) 375 (2549)

7. In (22) things (74) of (20) great (49) receit (58) with (57) ease (29) we (26) prooue. (85)

9 (63) 37 (249) 420 (2969)

8. Among (47) a (1) number (69) one (32) is (27) reckon'd (66) none. (45)

7 (70) 28 (277) 287 (3256)

9. Then (45) in (22) the (32) number (69) let (35) me (17) passe (57) vntold, (81)

8 (78) 31 (308) 358 (3614)

10. Though (76) in (22) thy (50) stores (91) account (73) I (9) one (32) must (69) be, (7)

9 (87) 34 (342) 429 (4043)

11. For (37) nothing (83) hold (37) me, (17) so (32) it (28) please (55) thee (37) hold, (37)

9 (96) 34 (376) 363 (4406)

12. That (47) nothing (83) me, (17) a (1) some-thing (105) sweet (68) to (33) thee. (37)

8 (104) 34 (410) 391 (4797)

13. Make (28) but (41) my (35) name (31) thy (50) loue, (50) and (18) loue (50) that (47) still, (68)

10 (114) 36 (446) 418 (5215)

14. And (18) then (45) thou (61) louest (87) me (17) for (37) my (35) name (31) is (27) Will (52)

10 (124) 34 (480) 410 (5625)

2.      The total gematric result 5625 is 75 times 75 or 45*125, which is the number of words (if loue-sute is counted as one word). In this way the average value of a word is 3*15.

Also the total number of words is divisible by 15: 480/15 = 32. 480 is ten times the gematric value of AEMILIA.

The figure 15, as has been shown, is connected with the sum of the sonnet lines 1-14, 105 = 7*15. His two names WILL SHAKESPEARE consist of 15 letters and the gematric value of EMILIA + SHAKESPEARE = 103+47 = 150. So he firmly ties the subject of LO-VE with 2*25 numeric value and his love affair to the nature of the sonnet.

225 is the square of 15 and the combined gematrical value of the three 25-letter names SHAKESPEARE (103) + WILLIAM (74) + AEMILIA (48). The average value is thus 9 for one letter.

3.      The 14 line result seems to be arranged in a symmetrical and complementary fashion:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

366

455

423

498

432

375

420

287

358

429

363

391

418

410

 

 

 

 

 

1440

 

 

 

 

 

Two neigbouring sums of the central part are each divisible by 15:

375+420 = 795 = 15*53; 287+358 = 645 = 15*43. The remaining factors 53+43 = 96 represent twice the gematric value of AEMILIA. 375 in itself is divisible by 15*25, 75*5 and 125*3.

Two symmetrical pairs, the first marked blue, the second green, have common prime factors 41 and 97:

lines

 

 

sm

 

5+10

432

429

861

3*7*41

4+11

498

363

861

3*7*41

2+13

455

418

873

9*97

1+14

366

410

776

8*97

3+12

423

391

814

2*11*37

The equal factors 15, 41, 97 obviously refer to the four quartets, while the gematric sum of lines 3+12 is identical with the concluding couplet.

3+12 put together to the 3-digit number 312 is 8*39, the value of the initials WS. The factors 2*37 = 74 of 814 is the value of WILLIAM, 2*11 = 22 is the number of letters of SHAKESPEARE + WILL+WILLIAM. 11+37 = 48 corresponds to AEMILIA, and 2+11+37 = 50 to the value of LOVE. There is reason to believe that Shakespeare gives a special meaning to the first 3 numbers.

4.      Three factors of the added results also occur in single sums: One is divisibble by 15 , two by 41, three by 11:

lines

 

sm

div.

 

sm

6

375

375

/15

 

25

8 14

287 410

697

/41

7+10

17

10 11 13

429 363 418

1210

/11

39+33+38

110

 

 

2282

 

 

 

2282 = 14*163

The factors 41+11 add up to the value of Shakespeare's 4-letter short name WIL+L. The average value a letter is therefore 13, just as the value of his initials WS 39 is 3*13.

5.      There is still more of symmetrical construction: Line 6 functions as a kind of symmetrical centre. If its value 375 is added to the first two complementary pairs (factor 97), the result is divisible by 11. Thus the factor 11 is, by two symmetric additions of 5 and 2 line values, and another 2 single line values contained in the result of 9 lines.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

366

455

423

498

432

375

420

287

358

429

363

391

418

410

 

lines

/11

 

1 2 6 13 14

184

8*11*23=2024

3 12

74

 

10 11

72

 

 

330

30*11*11 = 3630

The total value of the remaining 5 lines is 1995, 5*19*21, i.e. 399 on an average.

 

Written: December 2008

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