Final answer:
Look for a change in theme, known as a volta, at the beginning of the last stanza of a Shakespeare sonnet, marking a turn in the speaker's thoughts or emotions. The correct answer is option c) Change in the theme.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing the content of a Shakespeare sonnet, at the beginning of the last stanza, you should look for a change in theme. This shift is traditionally known as the volta, or turn, and it typically occurs between the octave (the first eight lines) and the sestet (the final six lines) in the Petrarchan sonnet format, or before the final couplet in the Shakespearean sonnet format.
In the Shakespearean sonnet, characterized by the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, efef, gg, this turn often marks a change in the speaker's thought, emotion, or rhetoric.
A sonnet's volta is a critical element as it introduces a twist or resolution to the problem, question, or situation that has been presented in the poem previously. Shakespeare's sonnets are excellent examples of this, often involving themes of time, beauty, love, and mortality. By identifying the volta, readers gain a deeper understanding of the overall argument or narrative progression within the sonnet.