Stanza 177 - Explanation

Original Stanza

A pretty while these pretty creatures stand,
Like ivory conduits coral cisterns filling:
One justly weeps; the other takes in hand
No cause, but company, of her drops spilling:
Their gentle sex to weep are often willing;
Grieving themselves to guess at others' smarts,
And then they drown their eyes or break their hearts.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down stanza 177 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece, line by line, then provide an overall interpretation, and highlight the literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "A pretty while these pretty creatures stand,"

  • Pretty: Here, "pretty" means "for a good length of time". Shakespeare is using it in an archaic sense of duration, not just appearance.
  • Pretty creatures: Refers to Lucrece and her waiting women/attendants who are witnessing her distress. The repetition of "pretty" might suggest a certain aesthetic appreciation of their beauty, even amidst the tragic scene, or perhaps an ironic observation, implying their prettiness is now irrelevant in the face of suffering.
  • Stand: Implies a static, almost frozen posture, suggesting their shock and inability to act or intervene effectively.

• "Like ivory conduits coral cisterns filling:"

  • Simile: This line is a simile, using "like" to compare the women and their tears to elaborate water features.
  • Ivory conduits: The women's pale, smooth faces (especially cheeks) are likened to ivory channels, through which tears flow.
  • Coral cisterns: Their eyes are likened to coral-colored (reddened from crying) cisterns, being filled with tears.
  • Elaborate Imagery: The imagery is highly ornamental and stylized. It's not just about sadness, but about the presentation of sadness in a visually beautiful, yet somewhat artificial, way.

• "One justly weeps; the other takes in hand"

  • One justly weeps: This refers to Lucrece, who has legitimate and profound cause to weep due to the rape. Her weeping is justified.
  • The other takes in hand: Refers to one of the waiting women.

• "No cause, but company, of her drops spilling:"

  • No cause, but company: This waiting woman has no personal reason to weep, but weeps simply out of empathy, solidarity, or the desire to share in Lucrece's grief.
  • Drops spilling: Suggests that the woman's tears are not heartfelt or personal, but only spilled because she sees Lucrece crying.

• "Their gentle sex to weep are often willing;"

  • Their gentle sex: A general statement about women, portraying them as inherently prone to weeping. It's a stereotype of the time.
  • Often willing: They are predisposed to tears and emotional displays, suggesting a certain susceptibility or vulnerability.

• "Grieving themselves to guess at others' smarts,"

  • Grieving themselves: Experiencing grief, even though the original pain doesn't directly belong to them.
  • Guess at others' smarts: Their empathy involves a guess, an approximation, of another's pain. They can't fully understand the depth of Lucrece's suffering, but they try to imagine it.

• "And then they drown their eyes or break their hearts."

  • Exaggeration/Hyperbole: This line uses hyperbole to emphasize the intensity of their emotional response.
  • Drown their eyes: Indicates excessive weeping, to the point of obscuring their vision.
  • Break their hearts: Implies overwhelming sorrow and emotional anguish. The line is not meant to be taken literally, but to convey the intensity of their emotional pain.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza paints a picture of Lucrece's profound sorrow and the empathetic (or perhaps performative) weeping of her attendants. It highlights the contrast between Lucrece's justified grief and the attendants' sympathetic, secondary sorrow. It also offers a somewhat stereotypical view of women as being emotionally sensitive and prone to weeping, even when the cause of sorrow isn't their own. The rich imagery and hyperbolic language emphasize the overwhelming nature of the scene and the powerful effect of grief. The stanza hints at the performative aspects of grief and the social expectations placed upon women to express emotions outwardly. The stanza also subtly questions the true depth of the attendants' empathy, as they can only "guess" at Lucrece's pain.

Literary Devices:

• Simile: "Like ivory conduits coral cisterns filling"
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the women, tears, and their visual appearance, creating a visually rich scene.
• Hyperbole: "And then they drown their eyes or break their hearts"
• Repetition: "Pretty while these pretty creatures stand"
• Stereotype: The generalization about women's inherent willingness to weep reflects a common stereotype of the time.
• Alliteration: There is some subtle alliteration, which contributes to the overall musicality of the stanza.

In essence, Shakespeare uses this stanza to create a tableau of grief, exploring the nuances of empathy and the societal expectations surrounding women's emotional expression within the context of Lucrece's tragic experience.