Stanza 172 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'This brief abridgement of my will I make:
My soul and body to the skies and ground;
My resolution, husband, do thou take;
Mine honour be the knife's that makes my wound;
My shame be his that did my fame confound;
And all my fame that lives disbursed be
To those that live, and think no shame of me.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this powerful stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece, line by line, and then consider its overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "This brief abridgement of my will I make:"

  • Abridgement: A shortened version or summary.
  • Will: In this context, Lucrece's last will and testament, her final declaration of what she wants to happen after her death.
  • I make: She is actively declaring and creating this concise summary.

  • Literary Device: Formal diction - creates a sense of solemnity and a legalistic feel appropriate for a final testament.

  • Meaning: Lucrece is stating that she is about to give a summarized version of her final wishes, a concise declaration before she dies. This adds to the seriousness of the moment.

• "My soul and body to the skies and ground;"

  • Soul to the skies: A typical Christian expectation that her soul will ascend to Heaven.
  • Body to the ground: Her physical remains will be buried in the earth.
  • Literary Device: Parallelism/ Antithesis- The juxtaposition of "skies" and "ground" creates a contrasting image that emphasizes the totality of her being; everything belongs to either Heaven or Earth after her death.
  • Literary Device: Metonymy - Using "skies" to represent heaven.
  • Meaning: She is relinquishing her soul to God and her physical body to the earth, acknowledging the end of her earthly existence. This is a common element in a will.

• "My resolution, husband, do thou take;"

  • Resolution: Here, this refers to the action Lucrece is about to take (suicide) and her strength/determination to do so. It also implies her demand for vengeance.
  • Husband, do thou take: She is entrusting her husband, Collatinus, with the responsibility to avenge her.
  • Literary Device: Direct Address: She's speaking directly to her husband, emphasizing the personal plea and burden she places on him.
  • Meaning: She is asking her husband to accept her drastic act and to take up the mantle of avenging her dishonor. She implies the strength to complete her task.

• "Mine honour be the knife's that makes my wound;"

  • Honour be the knife's: Her honor will be restored through the act of the knife and her suicide. The knife becomes the instrument of her cleansing.
  • That makes my wound: The knife that will create her fatal wound.
  • Literary Device: Personification: Attributing agency to the knife as the tool of her honor's restoration.
  • Literary Device: Metaphor: The knife represents the instrument of her honor's restoration. It is not literally her honor.
  • Meaning: She is stating that her suicide is not an act of cowardice, but rather a necessary act to reclaim her lost honor. The act of suicide itself becomes a way to regain it.

• "My shame be his that did my fame confound;"

  • Shame be his: She wishes that the shame of the rape should fall entirely on Tarquin, the perpetrator.
  • That did my fame confound: "Confound" means to destroy, ruin, or confuse. Tarquin's actions have destroyed her reputation.
  • Literary Device: Juxtaposition/Contrast: Placing "shame" (to Tarquin) and "fame" (her own, now ruined) side by side emphasizes the injustice of the situation.
  • Meaning: Lucrece desires that Tarquin, who shattered her reputation, should bear the full weight of shame for his actions.

• "And all my fame that lives disbursed be"

  • Fame that lives: The remaining reputation or legacy she might have after this scandal.
  • Disbursed be: Distributed or spread out.
  • Literary Device: Alliteration: The repetition of the "d" sound in "disbursed be" emphasizes the spread of her story.
  • Meaning: She wishes that whatever good reputation remains of her after this tragedy should be spread and disseminated widely. She wants her story to be known.

• "To those that live, and think no shame of me."

  • To those that live: Future generations, or those who survive her.
  • Think no shame of me: She hopes they will not think badly of her because of the rape. She wants them to see her as a victim, not as someone who is deserving of dishonor.
  • Meaning: She hopes that future generations will remember her without shame and understand the injustice she suffered. This is a plea for her memory to be preserved with understanding and sympathy.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza encapsulates Lucrece's final act of defiance against the injustice she suffered. It is a powerful statement of her desire to restore her honor, assign blame, and ensure that her story is remembered and understood by future generations. She is not simply a victim, but a figure who actively shapes her legacy through her final act. Her "will" is a desperate attempt to control the narrative of her life and death in the face of unspeakable violation. She is sacrificing herself in the hopes of inciting justice and preventing future women from suffering the same fate. The stanza is filled with a profound sense of agency, even in the face of death, as Lucrece takes control of what remains of her reputation and demands retribution for the wrongs committed against her.