Stanza 168 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'Her house is sack'd, her quiet interrupted,
Her mansion batter'd by the enemy;
Her sacred temple spotted, spoil'd, corrupted,
Grossly engirt with daring infamy:
Then let it not be call'd impiety,
If in this blemish'd fort I make some hole
Through which I may convey this troubled soul.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 168 of Shakespeare's 'The Rape of Lucrece' line by line and then analyze its overall meaning and literary devices:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Her house is sack'd, her quiet interrupted,"

  • "Her house is sack'd": This is a metaphor. 'House' represents Lucrece's virtue, her body, and her honor. 'Sack'd' means looted, pillaged, or destroyed. This refers to the violation she has just endured.
  • "her quiet interrupted": This is a literal consequence of the rape. It also represents the loss of her inner peace and serenity.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "House" is a metaphor for Lucrece's body and virtue.
    • Alliteration: "House" and "Her" alliterate, emphasizing Lucrece.

• "Her mansion batter'd by the enemy;"

  • "Her mansion batter'd": 'Mansion' is another metaphor for her body, emphasizing its physical vulnerability. 'Batter'd' suggests a forceful and violent attack.
  • "by the enemy": 'Enemy' is Collatine, the rapist, and also can be viewed as the embodiment of lust and dishonor.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Mansion" is a metaphor for Lucrece's body.

• "Her sacred temple spotted, spoil'd, corrupted,"

  • "Her sacred temple": 'Temple' is yet another metaphor for her body, emphasizing its sanctity and purity, now violated.
  • "spotted, spoil'd, corrupted": These three verbs describe the consequences of the rape. 'Spotted' suggests a stain on her purity, 'spoil'd' emphasizes the loss of her value and integrity, and 'corrupted' denotes a fundamental alteration to her being.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Temple" is a metaphor for Lucrece's body and purity.
    • Triadic Structure/List of Three: The use of three verbs ("spotted, spoil'd, corrupted") intensifies the image of damage.

• "Grossly engirt with daring infamy:"

  • "Grossly engirt": 'Grossly' means blatantly or obviously. 'Engirt' means surrounded or encircled. This suggests that her reputation and being are now completely enveloped by the dishonor of the rape.
  • "with daring infamy": 'Daring' underscores the audacity and boldness of Collatine's actions. 'Infamy' refers to the state of being known for something evil or dishonorable.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: "Grossly" and "Engirt"

• "Then let it not be call'd impiety,"

  • "Then let it not be call'd impiety": This is the key turning point. She sets up a rhetorical argument. She's arguing that her next action (suicide) should not be considered a sin against the gods (impiety).
  • Literary Devices:
    • Rhetorical Question/Statement: This is a persuasive statement disguised as a question.

• "If in this blemish'd fort I make some hole"

  • "If in this blemish'd fort": 'Blemish'd fort' continues the metaphor of her body as a fortified structure, now defiled and weakened by the rape. 'Blemish'd' further emphasizes that it is no longer perfect.
  • "I make some hole": 'Hole' is a euphemism for the wound she will inflict upon herself to end her life.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Fort" is a metaphor for Lucrece's body.
    • Euphemism: "Hole" is a polite way to refer to a fatal wound.

• "Through which I may convey this troubled soul."

  • "Through which I may convey": She sees suicide as a way to release her soul from the pain and dishonor she has experienced.
  • "this troubled soul": This emphasizes the internal anguish and suffering she is enduring.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: Giving the soul the ability to be "troubled".

Overall Meaning:

This stanza is a pivotal moment in the poem. Lucrece is contemplating suicide. She uses a series of vivid metaphors comparing her body to a house, mansion, temple, and fort, all of which have been violated and destroyed by Collatine's rape. Because of this violation, she argues that ending her life is not an act of impiety (disrespect to the gods) but rather a necessary means of freeing her tormented soul from a corrupted vessel. She views her body as irrevocably tainted, and death is the only way to preserve her honor and escape her suffering. The stanza serves as a justification for her impending suicide, framing it as a rational and even necessary act.

Key Literary Devices in the Stanza:

• Extended Metaphor: The consistent comparison of Lucrece's body to various structures (house, mansion, temple, fort) is the dominant device. This emphasizes the physical and emotional damage she has sustained.
• Euphemism: The use of "hole" to describe a fatal wound softens the harsh reality of suicide.
• Alliteration: Several instances ("Her House," "Grossly Engirt") add emphasis and musicality.
• Triadic Structure/List of Three: "Spotted, spoil'd, corrupted" enhances the image of devastation.
• Rhetorical Question/Statement: "Then let it not be call'd impiety..." sets up her defense of suicide.
• Personification: Giving the soul the ability to be "troubled."

In essence, this stanza is a carefully constructed argument for suicide, driven by the overwhelming sense of dishonor and defilement Lucrece feels after the rape. It demonstrates Shakespeare's masterful use of language and imagery to explore complex moral and psychological themes.