William Shakespeare's renowned "Sonnet 116" discusses the tenacity, perseverance, and dependability of real love. In Sonnet 116, the speaker extols real love by contrasting its tenacity with the frequent challenges that love faces: change, turmoil, and time. Changes in circumstance and behavior are natural events in any relationship, but when these changes occur too frequently or are too great, it becomes difficult to maintain a strong connection. For example, if you were married to me, you would soon find out that I am not very flexible about our marriage vows; I like things just so, and I'm not likely to change for anyone else. Shakespeare also tells us that true love is stronger than death. Although this statement may sound dramatic, it should not be taken literally. Death does not destroy real love, but rather it frees everyone from having to deal with certain issues that might have arisen if one of them had lived forever. Finally, Shakespeare compares true love to a light that never goes out. This line has given rise to many interpretations over the years. Some scholars believe that Shakespeare is referring to the eternal nature of real love or perhaps the spiritual aspect of it. Others think that he is talking about the resilience of true love even in times of hardship. Still others see in this line an allusion to the fickle nature of love, which cannot be relied upon.