Stanza 126 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'O Opportunity, thy guilt is great!
'Tis thou that executest the traitor's treason:
Thou set'st the wolf where he the lamb may get;
Whoever plots the sin, thou 'point'st the season;
'Tis thou that spurn'st at right, at law, at reason;
And in thy shady cell, where none may spy him,
Sits Sin, to seize the souls that wander by him.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 126 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line and then consider the overall meaning, paying attention to the literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• Line 1: 'O Opportunity, thy guilt is great!'

  • Analysis: This is a direct apostrophe, an address to an inanimate object or abstract concept as if it were a person who could hear and respond. The speaker is directly accusing Opportunity of being greatly guilty. It establishes a strong emotional tone of blame and condemnation.
  • Meaning: Opportunity is being personified and blamed for enabling the horrors that are to come (i.e. the rape).

• Line 2: 'Tis thou that executest the traitor's treason:'

  • Analysis: This line continues the personification and reinforces Opportunity's role as an active agent. Treason is usually committed by someone, yet here it is said that "Opportunity" executes it. The use of "traitor's treason" is an example of tautology or redundancy, emphasizing the evilness of the act.
  • Meaning: Opportunity is not just a passive factor; it actively carries out the plans of evil-doers. It makes the wrongdoer's vile intentions a reality.

• Line 3: 'Thou set'st the wolf where he the lamb may get;'

  • Analysis: This line employs a metaphor. The "wolf" represents a predator (Tarquin) and the "lamb" represents vulnerability and innocence (Lucrece). It's a powerful, easily understood image of predator and prey.
  • Meaning: Opportunity provides the circumstances in which the strong and ruthless can take advantage of the weak and innocent. Opportunity facilitates the act of the villain preying on the virtuous.

• Line 4: 'Whoever plots the sin, thou 'point'st the season;'

  • Analysis: This continues the personification of Opportunity and emphasizes its crucial role in the timing and execution of evil. The word "'point'st" (appointest) suggests a deliberate and active choosing of the right time for the sin to occur.
  • Meaning: It doesn't matter who plans the evil deed; Opportunity determines when and where it can be carried out successfully. It is the crucial element, making the execution of the plan possible.

• Line 5: 'Tis thou that spurn'st at right, at law, at reason;'

  • Analysis: This uses polysyndeton, the repetition of the conjunction "at," to emphasize the extent to which Opportunity disregards all forms of morality and order. "Right, law, and reason" represent the pillars of a just society.
  • Meaning: Opportunity is utterly indifferent to justice, the established order, and logical thought. It dismisses all moral boundaries in favor of achieving its goals.

• Line 6: 'And in thy shady cell, where none may spy him,'

  • Analysis: The "shady cell" is a metaphor for the secret, hidden places where evil thrives. The phrase "where none may spy him" suggests secrecy and concealment. The indefinite reference to "him" could refer back to the "traitor" or the "wolf" from earlier lines.
  • Meaning: Opportunity provides a secret and protected environment where evil can flourish without being seen or judged.

• Line 7: 'Sits Sin, to seize the souls that wander by him.'

  • Analysis: This line concludes the stanza with another personification. Sin itself is personified as a figure sitting in wait, ready to capture unsuspecting "souls that wander by." There's a sense of predation and moral danger. The imagery echoes the wolf/lamb metaphor from earlier.
  • Meaning: Opportunity creates the environment where sin can easily trap and corrupt individuals who are not careful or who are simply vulnerable. It highlights the inherent danger lurking within opportune situations.

Overall Meaning:

Stanza 126 is a powerful condemnation of Opportunity as an active agent in the perpetration of evil. It argues that Opportunity is not just a passive circumstance but an active force that enables and facilitates sin. Opportunity is personified as a treacherous figure that dismisses morality, disregards justice, and creates the environment where evil can thrive and prey on the innocent. The stanza serves to highlight the importance of resisting temptation and being aware of the potential dangers of seemingly advantageous situations. It sets the stage for the tragedy that is about to unfold by emphasizing the active role of circumstances in the unfolding of Tarquin's evil plan.

Literary Devices Summary:

• Apostrophe: Direct address to Opportunity.
• Personification: Opportunity and Sin are given human qualities.
• Metaphor: Wolf/Lamb representing predator/victim; shady cell representing the secret place of evil.
• Tautology (or Redundancy): "Traitor's treason."
• Polysyndeton: Repetition of "at" in "...spurn'st at right, at law, at reason."

This stanza serves as a powerful warning and a strong moral commentary on the dangers of uncontrolled desire and the insidious role of opportunity in facilitating evil acts.