Stanza 107 - Explanation

Original Stanza

He thence departs a heavy convertite;
She there remains a hopeless castaway;
He in his speed looks for the morning light;
She prays she never may behold the day,
'For day,' quoth she, 'nights scapes doth open lay,
And my true eyes have never practised how
To cloak offences with a cunning brow.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 107 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, identify the literary devices, and then synthesize the overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "He thence departs a heavy convertite;"

  • "He": Tarquin, the rapist.
  • "thence": From the scene of the crime, Lucrece's chamber.
  • "departs": Leaves.
  • "a heavy convertite": A penitent person, but one weighed down by guilt. "Heavy" suggests both the emotional weight of his guilt and potentially a literal heaviness because of the deed committed.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: "heavy" and "convertite"

• "She there remains a hopeless castaway;"

  • "She": Lucrece, the victim.
  • "there": In her chamber, the scene of the rape.
  • "remains": Stays.
  • "a hopeless castaway": A person abandoned and without hope. "Castaway" suggests she feels discarded and worthless.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Contrast: This line directly contrasts with the first line, highlighting the different fates and feelings of the perpetrator and the victim.

• "He in his speed looks for the morning light;"

  • "He": Tarquin.
  • "in his speed": Hurrying, trying to escape the scene and the consequences of his actions.
  • "looks for the morning light": He anticipates the dawn, perhaps hoping that a new day will bring a fresh start or that he can escape under the cover of daylight. Here, "morning light" can also symbolize the exposure that the crime will inevitably bring, and that Tarquin is trying to outrun.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Symbolism: "Morning light" representing a new beginning, but also the dawning of truth and consequences.

• "She prays she never may behold the day,"

  • "She": Lucrece.
  • "prays she never may behold the day": She wishes for death rather than to face the shame and dishonor of being raped. She would prefer to remain in darkness than face the implications of the light.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Contrast: Direct contrast with the previous line. Tarquin seeks the light, Lucrece dreads it.
    • Irony: Tarquin seeks light as a form of escape and new beginnings, whereas Lucrece seeks darkness as escape (of life) and ending.

• "'For day,' quoth she, 'nights scapes doth open lay,"

  • "quoth she": an archaic way of saying "said she".
  • "'For day...' ": Lucrece explaining her wish for darkness.
  • "nights scapes doth open lay": The daylight reveals the crimes and secrets that were hidden in the darkness of the night. This is a metaphor. The night "escapes" refer to the evil acts that happened under the cover of night. The day "open lays" (reveals) the consequences and repercussions of these acts.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Comparing the revelation of crimes to opening a hidden secret.
    • Personification: Giving the "night" the ability to produce "escapes".

• "And my true eyes have never practised how"

  • "And": Continuing Lucrece's lament.
  • "my true eyes": Emphasizing her honesty and innocence.
  • "have never practised how": She is not experienced in deceit or concealing the truth.
    • Alliteration: "practised"

• "To cloak offences with a cunning brow."

  • "To cloak offences": To hide or conceal wrongdoing.
  • "with a cunning brow": Through deceitful expressions and manipulation. The "brow" is a synecdoche, representing the entire face and one's ability to deceive through facial expressions.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Synecdoche: "Brow" represents the whole face and the capacity for deception.
    • Imagery: Visualizing the act of concealing offenses with a deceptive facial expression.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza powerfully contrasts the immediate aftermath of the rape. Tarquin, burdened by guilt, flees the scene, seeking solace or escape in the coming dawn. He hopes for a new day that will absolve him of his sin. In stark contrast, Lucrece is left behind, feeling utterly abandoned and hopeless. She despairs of the light, seeing it as a revealer of her shame and the destruction of her honor. She emphasizes her inherent honesty and inability to feign innocence or hide the truth, highlighting the unbearable situation she now faces. She feels she cannot hide what has happened and is doomed to be exposed, and more importantly, disgraced, for something that was done to her. The stanza sets the stage for Lucrece's tragic decision to take her own life to preserve her honor.

Key Themes & Literary Devices:

• Contrast: The most dominant device, highlighting the vastly different experiences and emotional states of Tarquin and Lucrece.
• Light vs. Darkness: A symbolic motif. For Tarquin, light represents hope and escape; for Lucrece, it represents exposure and shame.
• Guilt vs. Innocence: The stanza clearly establishes Tarquin's guilt and Lucrece's innocence, intensifying the tragedy.
• Honour & Shame: Lucrece's focus on her inability to hide the crime speaks to the societal pressures surrounding female honour.
• Synecdoche: "Brow" representing deception.
• Metaphor: Day revealing hidden crimes.
• Alliteration: Adding emphasis and flow to the language.

This stanza is crucial for understanding the psychological impact of the rape on both the perpetrator and the victim, and it foreshadows the devastating consequences that are to follow. It is a beautifully crafted and emotionally charged passage.