Stanza 143 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'O Time, thou tutor both to good and bad,
Teach me to curse him that thou taught'st this ill!
At his own shadow let the thief run mad,
Himself himself seek every hour to kill!
Such wretched hands such wretched blood should spill;
For who so base would such an office have
As slanderous death's-man to so base a slave?

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Let's break down Stanza 143 of 'The Rape of Lucrece' line by line:

Line 1: 'O Time, thou tutor both to good and bad,'

• O Time: This is an apostrophe, a direct address to an inanimate object or abstract concept, in this case, Time.
• thou tutor both to good and bad: Time is personified as a teacher. The line suggests that Time is impartial, teaching both positive and negative lessons. Time allows for the development of virtue and vice.
• Meaning: This line establishes Time as a powerful, neutral force that shapes human behavior for both good and evil.

Line 2: 'Teach me to curse him that thou taught'st this ill!'

• Teach me to curse him: Lucrece is asking Time to teach her how to effectively curse Tarquin, the one who committed the "ill" (the rape). She wants to learn the most potent form of malediction.
• that thou taught'st this ill: This refers back to the idea of Time being a tutor. The implication is that Tarquin's capacity for evil, his ability to commit such a vile act, was somehow fostered by Time's influence or allowance.
• Meaning: Lucrece desperately seeks a way to punish Tarquin, believing that Time, as the educator of evil, should also guide her in enacting retribution.

Line 3: 'At his own shadow let the thief run mad,'

• At his own shadow let the thief run mad: This is a curse in the form of a wish or a command. Lucrece hopes that Tarquin's guilt and paranoia will drive him insane. The "thief" refers to Tarquin, who has stolen her honor and chastity. His own shadow becomes a symbol of his guilt, perpetually haunting him.
• Imagery: The line conjures a vivid image of a man driven to madness by his own inner demons, represented by his shadow.
• Meaning: Lucrece desires psychological torment for Tarquin, envisioning him consumed by his own guilt and fear.

Line 4: 'Himself himself seek every hour to kill!'

• Himself himself: This repetition emphasizes the intensity of her wish for self-destruction. The doubled "himself" suggests a deep level of internal conflict and self-loathing.
• seek every hour to kill: She wishes that he would be constantly tormented by the desire to end his own life.
• Meaning: This line continues the curse, intensifying the desire for Tarquin's complete self-destruction. She wants him to be in a perpetual state of suicidal despair.

Line 5: 'Such wretched hands such wretched blood should spill;'

• Such wretched hands such wretched blood should spill: The repetition of "wretched" reinforces the idea of Tarquin's depravity. The blood spilling is his own, reinforcing the desire for suicide.
• Alliteration: The 's' sound is repeated "Such... should...spill" to emphasize this line.
• Meaning: This line reinforces the idea of justice, suggesting that Tarquin's wicked actions necessitate a violent and self-inflicted end. It further emphasizes her desire for him to take his own life.

Line 6: 'For who so base would such an office have'

• For who so base would such an office have: This is a rhetorical question. Lucrece asks who could be so low as to perform the job she's about to describe.
• Meaning: Lucrece is highlighting the depravity of Tarquin's actions. By asking this question, she's emphasizing how base and unworthy he is.

Line 7: 'As slanderous death's-man to so base a slave?'

• slanderous death's-man: This is a metaphor for Tarquin. He is like an executioner who murders (metaphorically, in this case, her honor) through slander and defamation. "Death's-man" refers to the executioner.
• so base a slave: This refers to Lucrece herself. She sees herself as a "slave" to Tarquin's lust and the shame he has brought upon her. She believes her life has been rendered worthless by his actions.
• Meaning: This line completes the rhetorical question. Lucrece implies that even a hired executioner, a "death's-man," would be morally superior to Tarquin because he is a "base slave". She sees herself as having been reduced to a state of utter degradation.

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza is a powerful expression of Lucrece's rage and despair after her rape. She curses Tarquin with a fervent desire for his psychological torment and self-destruction. She personifies Time, blaming it for fostering the evil within Tarquin. Lucrece sees Tarquin as so depraved that he is lower than even a hired executioner. Her use of vivid imagery, repetition, and rhetorical questions creates a sense of intense emotion and underscores her deep feelings of violation and shame. The stanza functions as a desperate attempt to find justice and reclaim some sense of control in the face of unimaginable trauma. It also sets the stage for Lucrece's own impending suicide, as she views herself as irreparably tainted by Tarquin's actions.