Stanza 104 - Explanation

Original Stanza

She says, her subjects with foul insurrection
Have batter'd down her consecrated wall,
And by their mortal fault brought in subjection
Her immortality, and made her thrall
To living death and pain perpetual:
Which in her prescience she controlled still,
But her foresight could not forestall their will.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 104 of Shakespeare's "The Rape of Lucrece" line by line, then look at the overall meaning and literary devices:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "She says, her subjects with foul insurrection":
  • "She says": This introduces Lucrece's anguished internal monologue or statement after the rape.
  • "her subjects": This is a metaphorical reference to her own bodily functions and inner thoughts, specifically those related to her virtue and chastity. She sees them as under her command, things she should be able to control.
  • "with foul insurrection": The "subjects" have rebelled violently. "Foul insurrection" emphasizes the revolting and treacherous nature of this rebellion against her will.
• "Have batter'd down her consecrated wall":
  • "Have batter'd down": A violent image suggesting forceful and destructive action.
  • "her consecrated wall": This is a metaphor for Lucrece's chastity, virtue, and physical integrity. "Consecrated" implies that her virtue was sacred, set apart, and inviolable. It also carries a religious connotation, adding to the sense of defilement.
• "And by their mortal fault brought in subjection":
  • "by their mortal fault": "Their" refers back to the rebellious "subjects." "Mortal fault" highlights the gravity of their error - a fault so severe it leads to death (literal and metaphorical).
  • "brought in subjection": As a result of this 'mortal fault', Lucrece is now in a state of subjugation/enslavement.
• "Her immortality, and made her thrall":
  • "Her immortality": This refers to her reputation, honor, and the lasting impact of her virtue. It's what would have ensured her place in history as a virtuous woman.
  • "and made her thrall": "Thrall" means a slave or someone completely under the control of another. Her reputation is now enslaved/destroyed.
• "To living death and pain perpetual:":
  • "To living death": An oxymoron. Suggests a state where Lucrece is alive physically, but her spirit and essence are dead due to the shame and trauma.
  • "and pain perpetual": Describes the never-ending suffering that she believes will be her fate.
• "Which in her prescience she controlled still":
  • "Which": Refers back to the "living death and pain".
  • "in her prescience she controlled still": This implies that she had the ability (prescience means foresight or foreknowledge) to control or prevent these inner turmoil before the rape.
  • "still": means "up until this point".
• "But her foresight could not forestall their will.":
  • "her foresight": Synonymous with "prescience" from the previous line.
  • "could not forestall their will": Despite her foresight, she couldn't prevent the rebellion of her "subjects" or Collatine's actions. "Forestall" means to prevent or obstruct. This line highlights the tragic irony: she was aware of the potential for danger but ultimately powerless to stop it.

Overall Meaning:

In this stanza, Lucrece laments the destruction of her inner self (her virtue and integrity) through the act of rape. She uses a powerful metaphor of a besieged city to describe her internal state. Her "subjects" (her bodily functions and desires) have rebelled against her control, breaching the "consecrated wall" of her chastity. This has led to the enslavement of her reputation ("immortality") and condemned her to a life of perpetual suffering, a "living death." The tragic irony is that she possessed the prescience to understand the potential for this devastation, yet her foresight proved insufficient to prevent it. She blames herself for not being able to ultimately control these forces.

Literary Devices:

• Metaphor: The entire stanza is built upon an extended metaphor of a besieged city representing Lucrece's internal state.
• Personification: Lucrece gives her "subjects" agency and will, portraying them as active participants in her downfall.
• Oxymoron: "Living death" emphasizes the paradoxical nature of her suffering.
• Allusion: "Consecrated wall" has religious undertones, alluding to the sacredness of virginity.
• Irony: She has foresight, but it's useless.
• Imagery: The violent language of battering, insurrection, and thrall creates vivid and disturbing imagery.
• Alliteration: "Fault" and "foresight"

In essence, this stanza captures the overwhelming sense of violation, loss of control, and impending despair that Lucrece experiences in the aftermath of the rape. The highly figurative language conveys the profound psychological and emotional impact of the assault.