Numerical values of Alphabet

D. Shakespeare's Reference Models of Gematria in Sonnet 136

A. The Riddle of Sonnet 136

B. Initial and Final Letters of Lines (I)

C. Gematric Values of Whole Sonnet

IV. Synopsis of reference models

a) First and Last Letters of Lines (II)

b) Aspects of Inversion

a) First and Last Letters of Lines (II)

1.      In trying to get a full understanding of poetry, a literary critic should not exclude the WONDERFUL, the extraordinary and downright impossible, because he may instinctively refrain from feeling hopelessly inferior to the poet's genius. The wonderful – if conceded at all– seems to elude rational explication, so critics, especially of music, resort to emotional speech, or they look at it in a matter-of-fact attitude and miss part of its charm and value. As to Shakespeare, we should not doubt that he works wonders of mathematical rationality.

2.      This preface seems necessary before we take another look at the 14 initial and 14 final letters of the sonnet lines. The first time only the numeric values were counted. This time the factoral values – dealt with in the previous part – are added. Furthermore the focus is on the 10 different single letters, 7 initial, 3 final. The wonderful thing about them is that their combined values conincide with the SATOR-Square and the names IESUS CHRISTUS. So let us look at the values of these two references:

3.      The SATOR-Square contains 8 different single letters which can be arranged to form the word PENSATOR – he who weighs (merits and transgressions) referring to God as the judge of all men after death. The act of balancing shows correspondence in the numeric sum (NS) of 51 for each group of 4 letters.

Bu.

P

E

N

S

 

A

T

O

R

 

sm

ZW

15

5

13

18

51

1

19

14

17

51

102

FW

8

5

13

8

34

1

19

9

17

46

80

 

182

The sum of numerical and factoral values 182 is also the NS alone of the sentence SATOR (69) OPERA (52) TENET (61) – The creator maintains his works.

4.      The values of IESUS CHRISTUS are:

Bu.

I

E

S

U

S

 

C

H

R

I

S

T

U

S

 

sm

ZW

9

5

18

20

18

70

3

8

17

9

18

19

20

18

112

182

 

32

38

 

55

57

 

 

FW

6

5

8

9

8

36

3

6

17

6

8

19

9

8

76

112

 

19

17

 

40

36

 

 

 

106

 

188

294

We can see that the total sum of factoral values (FV) 112 is equal to the NS of CHRISTUS.

We can also observe – without relevance to the sonnet – a symmetrical structure of values if the NV and FV are added: The ratio of the 6 outer to the 7 inner letters is 144:150 = 6*(24:25). The ratio of 6:1:6 letters is 14*(9:1:11). The letter H in itself has a symmetrical shape.

5.      We can divide numbers into those with more than one prime factor and into prime numbers. One half of the 10 letter values of the sonnet belong to group I, the others to group II. 5 letters can furthermore be subdivided into 2+3 with equal NS:

I

W

M

sm

S

I

F

sm

total

NV

21

12

33

18

9

6

33

66

FV

10

7

17

8

6

5

19

36

 

 

 

50

 

 

 

52

102

II

T

A

 

D

E

L

 

 

NV

19

1

20

4

5

11

20

40

FV

19

1

20

4

5

11

20

40

 

 

 

40

 

 

 

40

80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

182

The NS+FS 102 of group I and 80 of group II correspond to the NS and FS of PENSATOR.

The NS of the 10 letters is 66+40 = 106 identical with the NS+FS of IESUS. The FS of IESUS is the same as the FS of group group I, the FS of CHRISTUS is composed of the FS of both groups (36+40 = 76).

6.      What has become of WILL and AMELIA in the initial and final letters? There is a connection to IESUS CHRISTUS, but if Shakespeare was aware of it, must be left open. If one singles out the different letters of both names, the NS of the twice four letters are 52 and 47, the same as for the WILL and AMELIA:

 

NS

FS

 

 

NS

FS

 

WILL

52

38

90

EMILIA

47

36

83

IESU

52

28

80

CHRT

47

45

92

 

104

66

170

 

 

 

175

170:175 = 5*(34:35) = 5*69

Together with the factoral values the result is a ratio of 34:35 that corresponds to the numerical value of SATOR with an identical internal distribution of values.

The factoral sums 52+47 = 99 close the gap between 102 and 201 of the SATOR-Square, that is between the 8 different letters and the 17 remaining letters. Finally, the multiplication 8*17 is 136, the number of the sonnet.

b) Aspects of Inversion

1.     Inversion is a main theme of Sonnet 136 and the basic structure of the SATOR Square as a palindrome. I have already mentioned the example of the two pairs of names that form a numeric inversion: AEMILIA+WILLIAM = 48+74 = 122, which becomes 221 by EMILIA+WILL (47+52=99). The NS 122 represents twice the word TENET of the SATOR Square and suitably indicates the sense of the unusual duplication of names: The two first words of the SATOR Square are inverted in the fourth and fifth lines. Moreover, the word OPERA has the same numeric value 52 as WILL.

Shakespeare has two possibilities of applying the SATOR Square to his and his lady's situation: First, if the single word TENET goes on relating to SATOR, he could replace his name for OPERA and EMILIA for SATOR.

EMILIA WILL TENET WILLIAM AEMILIA

He maintains EMILIA and WILL, he maintains WILLIAM and AEMILIA.

Second, Shakespeare could take the part of SATOR and say

WILL EMILIA TENET AEMILIA WILLIAM

WILL holds EMILIA, it's AEMILIA WILLIAM holds.

An examination of letter values will show that the suggestion makes more sense. The two words SATOR OPERA is combined with the two pair of names:

 

SATOR

WILL

sm

SATOR

WILLIAM

sm

tot.

NV

69

52

121

69

74

143

264

FV

54

38

92

54

52

106

198

 

123

90

213

123

126

249

462

 

OPERA

EMILIA

 

OPERA

AEMILIA

 

 

NV

52

47

99

52

48

100

199

FV

40

36

76

40

37

77

153

 

 

 

175

 

 

177

352

The NS of SATOR OPERA is 69+52 = 121 = 11*11. The number 121 itself is an inversion of numbers.

As the numeric difference between WILLIAM and WILL is 2*11, the total sum 264 is likewise divisible by 11. If the factoral sum 198 is added, 264 is inverted to 462.

The combined NS+FS of the second and fourth lines 352 is divisible by 11 as well. The complete sum is 814 = 74*11, thus proving WILLIAM as the dominating figure.

The FS 153 is inverted to 351 by 198.

But WILL, too, gets his rights: If the NV+FV 122 of TENET is added to 814, the result is 936 = 18*52 = 72*13.

2.     Another form of inversion lies in the NV 221 = 17*13 of the four names itself. Added to 182 = 14*13, the result is 403 = 31*13.

The NV 122 of WILLIAM and AEMELIA coincides with twice the NV of TENET. This equality of values suggests participation of the loving couple in the strength of the SATOR Square.

3.     The factoral sums of SATOR OPERA TENET and IESUS CHRISTUS are 155+112 = 267. The combined NS+FS of these five words is 364 +276 = 631, which is a primenumber. If we assume that Shakespeare knew the result, he had a motive to make the inversion 136 the number of his sonnet.

The FS of the whole SATOR Square is 249, the FS of the four names 163, another inversion. The addition of these two values amounts to 412 = 4*103. The prime number 103 is the gematric value of SHAKESPEARE. This may be the reason for the parallel position of SWEET in lines 4 and 12 of sonnet 136.

 

 

Written: December 2008

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