Friendly Folio - Sonnets

Together with your order we will also send you, free of charge, our famous five-page 20 Acting Clues The Sonnets do not appear in the First Folio, but they are a very useful source of short pieces, both for class work and for auditions. We have therefore prepared all the Sonnets, using the text from the 1609 Quarto. We have no evidence as to who oversaw the project, but nevertheless feel that the original spelling and punctuation is of interest, and we find some of the same values in using this as we do in using the First Folio for the plays of Shakespeare, which were overseen to some extent by two actors. This access to the original printed text is not so easy to find on the internet.

The Sonnets are listed by number, but you can sort them alphabetically by first line if you know what you want but do not know the number. Alternatively, you can put a significant word from the first line into Search, and that will find your sonnet for you. Because Friendly Folio uses the original spelling, use ONE word in your search, trying alternative Elizabethan spellings if necessary. Choose the sonnet you would like from the table below and press the Select button to add it to your basket.

Cost: Each Sonnet costs £1. We accept either PayPal or credit card. You will have reasonable photocopying rights, but no re-sale rights.

Getting the scripts: We will send the material to you by email in PDF format, unless you specifically request it in Word or WordPerfect, and we email it to you once your payment has been verified. This will normally be within 2 working days.

Please note: Sonnets can be sent by post printed in a suitable font on marbled paper, as Collectables.

Code Name First Line  
S-001 Sonnet 1 From fairest creatures we desire increase,
S-002 Sonnet 2 When fortie Winters shall beseige thy brow,
S-003 Sonnet 3 Looke in thy glasse and tell the face thou vewest,
S-004 Sonnet 4 Unthrifty lovelinesse why dost thou spend,
S-005 Sonnet 5 Those howers that with gentle worke did frame,
S-006 Sonnet 6 Then let not winters wragged hand deface,
S-007 Sonnet 7 Loe in the Orient when the gracious light,
S-008 Sonnet 8 Musick to heare, why hear'st thou musick sadly,
S-009 Sonnet 9 Is it for feare to wet a widdowes eye,
S-010 Sonnet 10 For shame deny that thou bear'st love to any
S-011 Sonnet 11 As fast as thou shalt wane so fast thou grow'st,
S-012 Sonnet 12 When I doe count the clock that tels the time,
S-013 Sonnet 13 O that you were your selfe, but love you are
S-014 Sonnet 14 Not from the stars do I my judgement plucke,
S-015 Sonnet 15 When I consider every thing that growes
S-016 Sonnet 16 But wherefore do not you a mightier waie
S-017 Sonnet 17 Who will beleeve my verse in time to come
S-018 Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a Summers day?
S-019 Sonnet 19 Devouring time blunt thou the Lyons pawes,
S-020 Sonnet 20 A Womans face with natures owne hand painted,
S-021 Sonnet 21 So is it not with me as with that Muse,
S-022 Sonnet 22 My glasse shall not perswade me I am ould,
S-023 Sonnet 23 As an unperfect actor on the stage,
S-024 Sonnet 24 Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath steeld,
S-025 Sonnet 25 Let those who are in favor with their stars
S-026 Sonnet 26 Lord of my love, to whome in vassalage
S-027 Sonnet 27 Weary with toyle, I hast me to my bed,
S-028 Sonnet 28 How can I then returne in happy plight
S-029 Sonnet 29 When in disgrace with Fortune and mens eyes,
S-030 Sonnet 30 When to the Sessions of sweet silent thought,
S-031 Sonnet 31 Thy bosome is indeared with all hearts,
S-032 Sonnet 32 If thou survive my well contented daie,
S-033 Sonnet 33 Full many a glorious morning have I seene,
S-034 Sonnet 34 Why didst thou promise such a beautious day,
S-035 Sonnet 35 No more bee greev'd at that which thou hast done,
S-036 Sonnet 36 Let me confesse that we two must be twaine,
S-037 Sonnet 37 As a decrepit father takes delight,
S-038 Sonnet 38 How can my Muse want subject to invent
S-039 Sonnet 39 Oh how thy worth with manners may I singe,
S-040 Sonnet 40 Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all,
S-041 Sonnet 41 Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits,
S-042 Sonnet 42 That thou hast her it is not all my griefe,
S-043 Sonnet 43 When most I winke then doe mine eyes best see,
S-044 Sonnet 44 If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
S-045 Sonnet 45 The other two, slight ayre, and purging fire,
S-046 Sonnet 46 Mine eye and heart are at a mortall warre,
S-047 Sonnet 47 Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is tooke,
S-048 Sonnet 48 How carefull was I when I tooke my way,
S-049 Sonnet 49 Against that time (if ever that time come)
S-050 Sonnet 50 How heavie doe I journey on the way,
S-051 Sonnet 51 Thus can my love excuse the slow offence,
S-052 Sonnet 52 So am I as the rich whose blessed key,
S-053 Sonnet 53 What is your substance, whereof are you made,
S-054 Sonnet 54 Oh how much more doth beautie beautious seeme,
S-055 Sonnet 55 Not marble, nor the guilded monument,
S-056 Sonnet 56 Sweet love renew thy force, be it not said
S-057 Sonnet 57 Being your slave what should I doe but tend,
S-058 Sonnet 58 That God forbid, that made me first your slave,
S-059 Sonnet 59 If their bee nothing new, but that which is,
S-060 Sonnet 60 Like as the waves make towards the pibled shore,
S-061 Sonnet 61 Is it thy wil, thy Image should keepe open
S-062 Sonnet 62 Sinne of selfe-love possesseth al mine eie,
S-063 Sonnet 63 Against my love shall be as I am now
S-064 Sonnet 64 When I have seene by times fell hand defaced
S-065 Sonnet 65 Since brasse, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundlesse sea,
S-066 Sonnet 66 Tyr'd with all these for restfull death I cry,
S-067 Sonnet 67 Ah wherefore with infection should he live,
S-068 Sonnet 68 Thus is his cheeke the map of daies out-worne,
S-069 Sonnet 69 Those parts of thee that the worlds eye doth view,
S-070 Sonnet 70 That thou are blam'd shall not be thy defect,
S-071 Sonnet 71 Noe Longer mourne for me when I am dead,
S-072 Sonnet 72 O Least the world should taske you to recite,
S-073 Sonnet 73 That time of yeeare thou maist in me behold,
S-074 Sonnet 74 But be contented when that fell arest,
S-075 Sonnet 75 So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
S-076 Sonnet 76 Why is my verse so barren of new pride?
S-077 Sonnet 77 Thy glasse will shew thee how thy beauties were,
S-078 Sonnet 78 So oft have I invok'd thee for my Muse,
S-079 Sonnet 79 Whilst I alone did call upon thy ayde,
S-080 Sonnet 80 O How I faint when I of you do write,
S-081 Sonnet 81 Or I shall live your Epitaph to make,
S-082 Sonnet 82 I Grant thou wert not married to my Muse,
S-083 Sonnet 83 I Never saw that you did painting need,
S-084 Sonnet 84 Who is it that sayes most, which can say more,
S-085 Sonnet 85 My toung-tide Muse in manners holds her still,
S-086 Sonnet 86 Was it the proud full saile of his great verse,
S-087 Sonnet 87 Farewell thou art too deare for my possessing,
S-088 Sonnet 88 When thou shalt be dispode to set me light,
S-089 Sonnet 89 Say that thou didst forsake mee for some falt,
S-090 Sonnet 90 Then hate me when thou wilt, if ever, now,
S-091 Sonnet 91 Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
S-092 Sonnet 92 But doe thy worst to steale thy selfe away,
S-093 Sonnet 93 So shall I live, supposing thou art true,
S-094 Sonnet 94 They that have powre to hurt, and will doe none,
S-095 Sonnet 95 How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame,
S-096 Sonnet 96 Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonesse,
S-097 Sonnet 97 How like a Winter hath my absence beene
S-098 Sonnet 98 From you have I beene absent in the spring,
S-099 Sonnet 99 The forward violet thus did I chide,
S-100 Sonnet 100 Where art thou Muse that thou forgetst so long,
S-101 Sonnet 101 Oh truant Muse what shal be thy amends,
S-102 Sonnet 102 My love is strengthned though more weake in seeming
S-103 Sonnet 103 Alack what poverty my Muse brings forth,
S-104 Sonnet 104 To me faire friend you never can be old,
S-105 Sonnet 105 Let not my love be cal'd Idolatrie,
S-106 Sonnet 106 When in the Chronicle of wasted time,
S-107 Sonnet 107 Not mine owne feares, nor the prophetick soule,
S-108 Sonnet 108 What's in the braine that Inck may character,
S-109 Sonnet 109 O Never say that I was false of heart,
S-110 Sonnet 110 Alas 'tis true, I have gone here and there,
S-111 Sonnet 111 O For my sake doe you wish fortune chide,
S-112 Sonnet 112 Your love and pittie doth th'impression fill,
S-113 Sonnet 113 Since I left you, mine eye is in my minde,
S-114 Sonnet 114 Or whether doth my minde being crown'd with you
S-115 Sonnet 115 Those lines that I before have writ doe lie,
S-116 Sonnet 116 Let me not to the marriage of true mindes
S-117 Sonnet 117 Accuse me thus, that I have scanted all,
S-118 Sonnet 118 Like as to make our appetites more keene
S-119 Sonnet 119 What potions have I drunke of Syren teares
S-120 Sonnet 120 That you were once unkind be-friends mee now,
S-121 Sonnet 121 Tis better to be vile then vile esteemed,
S-122 Sonnet 122 Thy guift, thy tables, are within my braine
S-123 Sonnet 123 No! Time, thou shalt not bost that I doe change,
S-124 Sonnet 124 If my deare love were but the childe of state,
S-125 Sonnet 125 Wer't ought to me I bore the canopy,
S-126 Sonnet 126 O Thou my lovely Boy who in thy power,
S-127 Sonnet 127 In the ould age blacke was not counted faire,
S-128 Sonnet 128 How oft when thou my musike musike playst,
S-129 Sonnet 129 Th'expense of Spirit in a waste of shame
S-130 Sonnet 130 My Mistres eyes are nothing like the Sunne,
S-131 Sonnet 131 Thou art as tiranous, so as thou art,
S-132 Sonnet 132 Thine eies I love, and they as pittying me,
S-133 Sonnet 133 Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groane
S-134 Sonnet 134 So now I have confest that he is thine,
S-135 Sonnet 135 Who ever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
S-136 Sonnet 136 If thy soule check thee that I come so neere,
S-137 Sonnet 137 Thou blinde foole love, what doost thou to mine eyes,
S-138 Sonnet 138 When my love sweares that she is made of truth,
S-139 Sonnet 139 O Call not me to justifie the wrong,
S-140 Sonnet 140 Be wise as thou art cruell, do not presse
S-141 Sonnet 141 In faith I doe not love thee with mine eyes,
S-142 Sonnet 142 Love is my sinne, and thy deare vertue hate,
S-143 Sonnet 143 Loe as a carefull huswife runnes to catch,
S-144 Sonnet 144 Two loves I have of comfort and dispaire,
S-145 Sonnet 145 Those lips that Loves owne hand did make,
S-146 Sonnet 146 Poore soule the center of my sinfull earth,
S-147 Sonnet 147 My love is as a feaver longing still,
S-148 Sonnet 148 O Me! what eyes hath love put in my head,
S-149 Sonnet 149 Canst thou O cruell, say I love thee not,
S-150 Sonnet 150 Oh from what powre hast thou this powrefull might,
S-151 Sonnet 151 Love is too young to know what conscience is,
S-152 Sonnet 152 In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworne,
S-153 Sonnet 153 Cupid laid by his brand and fell a sleepe,
S-154 Sonnet 154 The little Love-God lying once a sleepe,