A Woman’s Face (Sonnet 20)

Song Meaning

Rufus Wainwright, a master of musical theater and lyrical drama, fearlessly tackles Shakespeare's Sonnet 20, "A Woman's Face." But this isn't just a recitation; it's a queer reclamation. Wainwright, known for his operatic flair and emotional vulnerability, transforms the sonnet's exploration of beauty, gender ambiguity, and desire into a deeply personal statement. The song, absent of Wainwright's typical bombast, allows the delicate nuances of the Bard's words to resonate with a contemporary understanding of fluid sexuality and the complexities of attraction. The opening lines, "A woman's face with nature's own hand painted / Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion," immediately establish the central paradox: a figure possessing feminine beauty but ultimately identified as male. The tension in "A Woman's Face" lies in the speaker's conflicted feelings. There's an undeniable admiration for the subject's beauty and virtue ("A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted / With shifting change"), yet also a sense of frustration and longing. The line, "Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth," highlights the subject's captivating allure, transcending traditional gender roles. Wainwright's interpretation amplifies this sense of androgynous magnetism, drawing the listener into a world where desire defies easy categorization. The psychological undercurrent of the song delves into the speaker's wrestling with societal expectations and the limitations they place on love and attraction. The final couplet offers a bittersweet resolution: "But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure / Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure." Here, the speaker acknowledges the subject's primary role as a source of pleasure for women, yet still claims a unique, perhaps platonic, connection. Wainwright's performance imbues these lines with a sense of acceptance and a subtle defiance. He seems to suggest that love, in its purest form, can exist outside the boundaries of physical intimacy and societal norms. The song becomes a celebration of unconventional affection, a testament to the enduring power of beauty, and a poignant reflection on the complexities of human desire.