Stanza 101 - Explanation

Original Stanza

O, deeper sin than bottomless conceit
Can comprehend in still imagination!
Drunken Desire must vomit his receipt,
Ere he can see his own abomination.
While Lust is in his pride, no exclamation
Can curb his heat or rein his rash desire,
Till like a jade Self-will himself doth tire.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down stanza 101 from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line and then discuss its overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "O, deeper sin than bottomless conceit"

  • "O": An exclamation, emphasizing the depth of the sin.
  • "deeper sin": Sin is the subject being discussed, implying a moral transgression.
  • "bottomless conceit": "Conceit" here refers to an inflated sense of self-importance, pride, or vanity that knows no bounds. "Bottomless" means it is endless, unfathomable.
  • Meaning: The sin Tarquin commits is worse than even the most extreme form of self-worship and pride imaginable.

• "Can comprehend in still imagination!"

  • "Can comprehend": Ability to understand or grasp the sin.
  • "in still imagination": "Still" means quiet, calm, undisturbed. "Imagination" refers to the ability to form mental images or concepts.
  • Meaning: Even in the quietest, most profound and introspective imagination, the full extent of this sin cannot be grasped. It is beyond comprehension.

• "Drunken Desire must vomit his receipt,"

  • "Drunken Desire": Personification. Desire is given human qualities (drunkenness). "Drunken" implies uncontrolled, irrational behavior fueled by lust.
  • "must vomit his receipt": "Receipt" refers to what Desire has taken in, specifically, the pleasure and satisfaction it anticipates from the sin. "Vomit" is a strong, visceral image suggesting disgust and expulsion.
  • Meaning: This line is a metaphor. Desire must purge itself of the intoxicating pleasure it anticipates before the perpetrator can recognize the true horror of his intended act.

• "Ere he can see his own abomination."

  • "Ere": Archaic term for "before."
  • "he can see his own abomination": "Abomination" means something utterly detestable, repulsive, and morally reprehensible.
  • Meaning: Only after Desire is purged of its initial allure can the perpetrator truly understand how disgusting and monstrous his actions are.

• "While Lust is in his pride, no exclamation"

  • "While Lust is in his pride": Personification. Lust is given human qualities. "Pride" indicates that lust is at its most intense and arrogant.
  • "no exclamation": "Exclamation" refers to any form of protest, warning, or plea.
  • Meaning: As long as lust is at its peak and full of itself, no amount of warnings or pleas can have any effect.

• "Can curb his heat or rein his rash desire,"

  • "curb his heat": "Curb" means to restrain or control. "Heat" refers to the intense passion and excitement of lust.
  • "rein his rash desire": "Rein" suggests control, as in the reins of a horse. "Rash desire" is impulsive and reckless desire.
  • Meaning: Nothing can restrain the intensity of his lustful passion or control his impulsive desires.

• "Till like a jade Self-will himself doth tire."

  • "Till": Up until the point.
  • "like a jade Self-will himself doth tire":
    • "jade": Refers to an old, worn-out, and stubborn horse that is no longer responsive to commands.
    • "Self-will": A personification of one's own stubbornness and unwillingness to be controlled.
    • "himself doth tire": Eventually, even the most stubborn and unrestrained will becomes exhausted from its own excess.
  • Meaning: It is only when Self-will, like a tired old horse, is exhausted from its own excesses that its power to drive the action is diminished.

Overall Meaning and Literary Devices:

This stanza explores the overwhelming power of lust and the difficulty of recognizing the moral depravity of one's actions when driven by such intense desire.

• Literary Devices:

  • Personification: "Drunken Desire," "Lust is in his pride," "Self-will." This brings abstract concepts to life and makes them more relatable.
  • Metaphor: "Drunken Desire must vomit his receipt." The entire idea of desire vomiting its pleasure is a metaphor for the eventual revulsion that follows unrestrained lust.
  • Imagery: The strong, visceral image of vomiting adds to the repugnance of the scene. The image of the "jade" or old tired horse also evokes a sense of exhaustion and depleted energy.
  • Hyperbole: "Deeper sin than bottomless conceit" - exaggeration to emphasize the enormity of the sin.
  • Allusion: The "jade" likely has common use and understanding in Shakespeare's era.

• Overall Meaning: The stanza conveys the idea that the power of lust blinds individuals to the consequences of their actions. Reason and moral conscience are suppressed by the overwhelming force of desire. It is only when that desire has run its course, when it has exhausted itself like a worn-out horse, that the perpetrator can begin to perceive the true horror of what he has done. The stanza suggests that reason and moral judgment are impotent against the immediate force of overwhelming desire. It is the dissipation of that desire that allows for moral recognition. The moral recognition comes after the act not during. This stanza foreshadows the mental torment Tarquin will go through because he did not understand the depth of his sin before he committed it.