Stanza 180 - Explanation

Original Stanza

No man inveigh against the wither'd flower,
But chide rough winter that the flower hath kill'd:
Not that devour'd, but that which doth devour,
Is worthy blame. O, let it not be hild
Poor women's faults, that they are so fulfill'd
With men's abuses: those proud lords, to blame,
Make weak-made women tenants to their shame.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down stanza 180 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, identify literary devices, and then synthesize the overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• Line 1: "No man inveigh against the wither'd flower,"

  • Meaning: "Let no one rail or bitterly criticize (inveigh) the flower that has withered or died."
  • Figurative Language: Metaphor: Lucrece, and by extension, all victimized women, are represented as a "withered flower" – something delicate, beautiful, and now ruined.

• Line 2: "But chide rough winter that the flower hath kill'd:"

  • Meaning: "Instead, scold the harsh winter that caused the flower to die."
  • Figurative Language: Metaphor: "Rough winter" symbolizes the aggressor, the force that destroys innocence and beauty (specifically, Tarquin and by extension, the patriarchal system). Personification: Giving "winter" the agency to "kill" the flower.

• Line 3: "Not that devour'd, but that which doth devour,"

  • Meaning: "It's not the one that was devoured that should be blamed, but the one who does the devouring."
  • Literary Device: Parallelism/Antithesis: The structure emphasizes the contrast between the victim and the perpetrator. The repeated "that" creates a deliberate and forceful rhythm.

• Line 4: "Is worthy blame. O, let it not be hild"

  • Meaning: "The one who does the devouring is deserving of blame. Oh, do not let it be held (hild) (thought or considered)."
  • Literary Device: Apostrophe: Addressing an abstract idea ("blame") directly.

• Line 5: "Poor women's faults, that they are so fulfill'd"

  • Meaning: "Poor women's fault, that they are so filled/burdened."
  • Literary Device: Irony: "Fulfilled" is usually a positive word, suggesting completion or satisfaction. Here, it's used sarcastically to describe how women are filled with shame, trauma, and the consequences of men's actions.

• Line 6: "With men's abuses: those proud lords, to blame,"

  • Meaning: "With the abuses perpetrated by men: those arrogant and powerful men are the ones who should be blamed."
  • Literary Device: Alliteration: "proud lords" (repetition of 'l' sound) emphasizes the power dynamic. Synecdoche: "proud lords" represents all abusive men.

• Line 7: "Make weak-made women tenants to their shame."

  • Meaning: "Make women, who are weak by design (weak-made), into tenants (bearers) of their (the men's) shame."
  • Literary Device: Metaphor: Women as "tenants" (renters) of shame, not owners of their own fate. They are forced to carry the burden of shame created by the men's actions. The term "weak-made" implies societal construction, suggesting that women are not inherently weak but are made to be so by the prevailing patriarchal system.

Overall Meaning and Significance:

The stanza is a powerful condemnation of blaming victims of sexual assault and other forms of abuse. It argues that responsibility lies squarely with the perpetrators, not with the women who suffer. Shakespeare uses vivid metaphors of a "withered flower" and "rough winter" to represent the victim and abuser, respectively.

The stanza highlights the power imbalance between men and women, suggesting that men, through their actions and the societal structures they uphold, create a situation where women are vulnerable and then unfairly burdened with the shame of the abuse. The use of "fulfilled" is particularly cutting, emphasizing the tragic irony of a woman being "filled" not with joy or satisfaction, but with the weight of someone else's transgression.

In essence, Shakespeare is making a plea for justice and a call for a fundamental shift in societal attitudes towards women and sexual violence. The stanza argues for empathy, understanding, and a clear assignment of blame to those who perpetrate abuse, not to those who suffer from it.