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What is the meaning of the phrase “unfair which fairly doth excel” as it is used in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 5”?

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User HighAley
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1 Answer

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This line is referring to the fact that time takes beauty away from everything. Unfair in this context is the act of taking away beauty -- instead of being fair (beautiful), that thing has become "unfair" (losing its beauty). Even things that 'excel' in beauty will become unfair in time. 
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User Brad Baskin
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