Stanza 131 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'When Truth and Virtue have to do with thee,
A thousand crosses keep them from thy aid:
They buy thy help; but Sin ne'er gives a fee,
He gratis comes; and thou art well appaid
As well to hear as grant what he hath said.
My Collatine would else have come to me
When Tarquin did, but he was stay'd by thee.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this powerful stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece, line by line, and then discuss its overall meaning and literary devices:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• Line 1: 'When Truth and Virtue have to do with thee,'

  • Meaning: This line addresses some abstract entity, which contextually is referring to the "opportunity" or "circumstance" for good/virtue. It's saying that when Truth and Virtue need to interact with you (this "opportunity"), it's difficult.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: Truth and Virtue are given human-like qualities (having to "do" with someone).
    • Apostrophe: The stanza is addressed to an abstract concept.

• Line 2: 'A thousand crosses keep them from thy aid:'

  • Meaning: A multitude of obstacles or difficulties ("crosses") prevent Truth and Virtue from getting help from, or utilizing, this "opportunity".
  • Literary Devices:
    • Hyperbole: "A thousand crosses" is likely an exaggeration to emphasize the overwhelming nature of the obstacles.
    • Metaphor: "Crosses" stand in for obstacles and burdens.

• Line 3: 'They buy thy help; but Sin ne'er gives a fee,'

  • Meaning: Truth and Virtue must essentially pay a price (struggle) to receive this opportunity, but Sin doesn't need to. It is a stark contrast.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: Sin is personified as something that can "give a fee".
    • Contrast: This line sets up a strong contrast between the effort needed for good and the ease of evil.

• Line 4: 'He gratis comes; and thou art well appaid'

  • Meaning: Sin comes freely ("gratis"), without any cost or effort, and this "opportunity" is perfectly happy ("well appaid") to receive him.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: The 'g' sound in "gratis comes" is repeated.
    • Understatement: "Well appaid" is an understatement. The opportunity is not just happy but welcomes sin eagerly, implying a complicity or even a preference for it.

• Line 5: 'As well to hear as grant what he hath said.'

  • Meaning: This "opportunity" is just as willing to listen to and act on the words of Sin.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Parallelism: The structure of "as well to hear as grant" emphasizes the equal willingness to listen and obey Sin.

• Line 6: 'My Collatine would else have come to me'

  • Meaning: If it wasn't for this 'opportunity' favouring Tarquin, Lucrece believes her husband Collatine would have been with her.
  • Context: Lucrece is speaking after being raped by Tarquin. She believes that under normal circumstances, her husband would have been able to come to her, perhaps if she had called for him.

• Line 7: 'When Tarquin did, but he was stay'd by thee.'

  • Meaning: When Tarquin arrived, Collatine was prevented from coming to her by the very 'opportunity' that should have allowed it.
  • Irony: Collatine's absence is directly linked to this opportunity favouring the evil of Tarquin's intentions.

Overall Meaning:

The stanza is a lament and a condemnation of the circumstances that allowed Tarquin to rape Lucrece. Lucrece is personifying "Opportunity" and accusing it of favoring evil over good. She argues that it is inherently easier for sin to flourish than for truth and virtue to prevail. The stanza highlights the injustice of her situation: Collatine was prevented from protecting her because the very circumstances that should have aided her actually facilitated Tarquin's wicked deed. It emphasizes the overwhelming difficulty of goodness triumphing over the ease and allure of evil.