Ambiguity and translation: Shakespeare's sonnet XII

One of the most important features of the language used by Shakespeare in his works is, undoubtedly, the great number of puns, ambiguities, innuendoes, and word plays in general that this author handles with superb craftsmanship. While the use of word play greatly enriches Shakespearian discourse, at the same time, it defies easy translation. This paper seeks to identify and explain the ambiguities that embellish sonnet XII, and evaluates some of the most important translations into Spanish.