Stanza 103 - Explanation

Original Stanza

So fares it with this faultful lord of Rome,
Who this accomplishment so hotly chased;
For now against himself he sounds this doom,
That through the length of times he stands disgraced:
Besides, his soul's fair temple is defaced;
To whose weak ruins muster troops of cares,
To ask the spotted princess how she fares.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 103 of "The Rape of Lucrece" and then put it all together:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "So fares it with this faultful lord of Rome,"

  • Meaning: "This is how it is going for this guilty/culpable lord of Rome." "Fares" is an archaic way of saying "goes" or "turns out." "Faultful" signifies that he is to blame.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: "Faultful" and "fares"
    • Epithet: "Faultful lord" is a descriptive term used to describe Tarquin.

• "Who this accomplishment so hotly chased;"

  • Meaning: "Who so passionately pursued this 'accomplishment' (referring to Lucrece and the act of her rape)." "Hotly" emphasizes the intensity of his desire.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Euphemism: "Accomplishment" is a euphemism. It's a softer word used to avoid the harsh reality of rape. It reveals Tarquin's (and perhaps society's) twisted perspective where violating a woman is framed as a victory.
    • Metaphor: "Hotly chased" is metaphorical in that he metaphorically hunted Lucrece.

• "For now against himself he sounds this doom,"

  • Meaning: "Because of his actions, he now pronounces his own judgment/condemnation." "Sounds" implies a formal, deliberate pronouncement.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: Doom cannot actually be "sounded".

• "That through the length of times he stands disgraced:"

  • Meaning: "That for all time (throughout history), he will be disgraced/dishonored." "Length of times" emphasizes the enduring nature of his shame.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Hyperbole: "Length of times" suggests a massive and vast sense of time, which highlights the permanence of his shame.

• "Besides, his soul's fair temple is defaced;"

  • Meaning: "In addition, the beautiful/pure temple of his soul is now ruined/destroyed." This line uses a metaphor to describe the inner damage Tarquin has inflicted upon himself.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Soul's fair temple" is a powerful metaphor. The soul, originally a place of purity and virtue (a temple), is now "defaced" like a desecrated building.
    • Alliteration: "Soul's" and "stands"

• "To whose weak ruins muster troops of cares,"

  • Meaning: "To these weakened ruins of his soul, gather armies of worries/anxieties/troubles." "Muster" means to assemble or gather.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Continuing the "temple" metaphor, the "ruins" of his soul are now besieged by "troops of cares."
    • Personification: "Cares" (worries) are personified as "troops" that can "muster."

• "To ask the spotted princess how she fares."

  • Meaning: "These cares gather around to inquire about the well-being of the 'spotted princess' (Lucrece)." "Spotted" signifies stained, tainted, or dishonored, referring to Lucrece's defiled reputation.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Spotted princess" is a metaphor for Lucrece's tainted reputation.
    • Irony: The cares "ask" how she fares. This is ironic because his actions have directly caused her suffering. The worries are a direct consequence of his sin.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza describes the consequences of Tarquin's actions, focusing on the internal turmoil and lasting disgrace he will endure. He will be forever remembered for his crime and his soul, once pure, is now ruined. The "troops of cares" symbolize the constant anxiety and guilt that will plague him, a direct consequence of his violence against Lucrece. This stanza also subtly highlights the impact of Tarquin's actions on Lucrece, portraying her as the "spotted princess" whose reputation and life are forever stained by the assault. The use of the "fair temple" metaphor emphasizes the loss of purity and innocence for both Tarquin and Lucrece, though their experiences of that loss are drastically different. The irony is bitter: his own internal anxieties are now concerned with the woman he so brutally wronged.

In essence, the stanza emphasizes the interconnectedness of their fates and the devastating consequences of lust and violence on both perpetrator and victim. It suggests that Tarquin will be haunted by his actions, his soul forever marred by his crime.