Stanza 110 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'O comfort-killing Night, image of hell!
Dim register and notary of shame!
Black stage for tragedies and murders fell!
Vast sin-concealing chaos! nurse of blame!
Blind muffled bawd! dark harbour for defame!
Grim cave of death! whispering conspirator
With close-tongued treason and the ravisher!

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Shakespeare's chilling description of Night from The Rape of Lucrece, stanza 110:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "O comfort-killing Night, image of hell!"

  • "O comfort-killing Night": This line directly addresses Night with a sense of lamentation and dread. Night is personified as an active force that destroys comfort.
  • "image of hell": Night is being compared to hell. It's a metaphor and it suggests an atmosphere of torment, sin, and despair.
  • This entire line is an apostrophe because the narrator is directly addressing night, which is an inanimate concept.

• "Dim register and notary of shame!"

  • "Dim register": Refers to a poorly lit or unclear record. It implies that Night keeps track of shameful deeds, but does so in a hidden or obscured manner.
  • "and notary of shame!": A notary is an official who witnesses and records important events. Night is like a notary, officially stamping shameful actions, validating them.
  • The line uses metaphor, comparing Night to legal officials.

• "Black stage for tragedies and murders fell!"

  • "Black stage": Night is likened to a theater stage, but a black one. It suggests that dark and evil acts play out during the night.
  • "tragedies and murders fell!": The kind of drama that is played out on this stage, these words imply tragedy and foul murders. The word "fell" reinforces the cruel and deadly nature of these acts.
  • Metaphor: Night is being compared to a stage for the unfolding of terrible events.

• "Vast sin-concealing chaos! nurse of blame!"

  • "Vast sin-concealing chaos!": Night is described as a vast, chaotic place that hides sins. The word "chaos" suggests a lack of order and moral boundaries.
  • "nurse of blame!": Night is seen as nurturing and fostering blame. The implication is that sin and misdeeds can grow out of the cover of the night.
  • Metaphor: Night is the entity that hides sins and fosters blame.

• "Blind muffled bawd! dark harbour for defame!"

  • "Blind muffled bawd!": This is a particularly striking and repulsive image. A "bawd" is a madam or procurer, someone who arranges immoral sexual encounters. Night is described as "blind" (lacking moral sight) and "muffled" (silencing conscience or preventing discovery), suggesting a deliberate hiding and encouragement of sin.
  • "dark harbour for defame!": Night is like a safe haven for slander and ruining of one's reputation. This suggests that the darkness protects and allows for the spread of malicious rumours.
  • Metaphor: Night is being compared to a pimp and a harbour.

• "Grim cave of death! whispering conspirator"

  • "Grim cave of death!": Night is described as a fearsome, dark place of death. The word "grim" emphasizes the terror and coldness of death.
  • "whispering conspirator": Night is personified as a conspirator who whispers secrets and plans evil deeds.
  • Metaphor: Night is being compared to a death cave and a conspirator.

• "With close-tongued treason and the ravisher!"

  • "With close-tongued treason": Night is working with treason.
  • "and the ravisher!": This is a direct link to the central event of the poem, the rape of Lucrece. The ravisher (Tarquin) is aided and abetted by the darkness.
  • Personification: Treason has the quality of being "close-tongued," implying it is secretive and hidden.

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza is a powerful condemnation of Night. It's not just a neutral time of day; it's an active force that enables and encourages evil. Shakespeare paints Night as a hellish, morally bankrupt entity that conspires with treachery and violence. It's a time when conscience is silenced, secrets are hidden, and the worst aspects of human nature are allowed to flourish. Night is not merely the backdrop for Lucrece's rape; it is an accomplice, an active participant in the tragic crime. The language is highly figurative, using metaphors and personification to create a vivid and disturbing portrait of Night as the incubator of sin and despair. The stanza creates a strong sense of foreboding and sets the stage for the violence to come.