Stanza 212 - Explanation

Original Stanza

“Why should the private pleasure of some one
Become the public plague of many moe?
Let sin, alone committed, light alone
Upon his head that hath transgressed so;
Let guiltless souls be freed from guilty woe.
For one’s offence why should so many fall,
To plague a private sin in general?

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 212 of Shakespeare's "The Rape of Lucrece" line by line and then discuss the overall meaning:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Why should the private pleasure of some one": This line poses a rhetorical question that frames the entire stanza. The core question is, "Why should one person's selfish, secret enjoyment..."

  • "private pleasure": This refers to Tarquin's lust and gratification in raping Lucrece. It's called "private" in the sense that it originates in his individual desires, even though it obviously has devastating public consequences.

• "Become the public plague of many moe?": "...become a widespread disaster affecting many more people?"

  • "public plague": Strong metaphorical image. Rape is not merely an individual crime; it is depicted as a contagion that spreads and infects the entire community. It suggests widespread suffering, moral decay, and social disruption.
  • "many moe": An archaic way of saying "many more." The archaic language lends a formal, elevated tone and reinforces the historical setting.

• "Let sin, alone committed, light alone": "Let the sin, since it was committed by one individual, fall only..."

  • Alliteration: "Let sin, alone, light alone" The repetition of the 'l' sound emphasizes the idea of isolating the sin and its consequences.
  • Parallelism: The repetition of "alone" reinforces the desire to confine the sin to the individual who committed it.

• "Upon his head that hath transgressed so;": "...upon the head of the person who committed the transgression." This is a biblical idiom (referring to the idea that one's sins come back to haunt them) implying that Tarquin should bear the sole responsibility and punishment.

• "Let guiltless souls be freed from guilty woe.": "Let innocent people be spared from suffering that is actually related to sin." This is a plea for justice, suggesting that the consequences of Tarquin's actions are unfairly affecting those who did nothing wrong.

  • Juxtaposition: "Guiltless souls" vs. "guilty woe" contrasts the innocence of the victims with the suffering that stems from guilt.

• "For one’s offence why should so many fall,": "Why should so many people suffer and be ruined because of the crime committed by one individual?"

  • Rhetorical question: Reinforces the injustice and unfairness.

• "To plague a private sin in general?": "...so that a sin that was originally a secret individual transgression ends up causing widespread suffering?"

  • Paradox: "Private sin in general" This is a paradox. A private sin, by definition, is meant to be individual and confined. However, the question asks why this private sin is causing a "general" or widespread plague. This highlights the profound impact that one person's actions can have on an entire society.
  • Repetition: The word "plague" is repeated from line 2, tying the individual act to the overall effect.

Overall Meaning:

The stanza grapples with the devastating consequences of Tarquin's rape of Lucrece. Lucrece questions why one person's act of selfish lust should bring ruin and suffering to so many. She advocates for justice, arguing that the blame and punishment should be confined solely to the perpetrator (Tarquin) and that innocent people should be spared the burden of his guilt. The stanza expresses the tragic reality that a private sin can often have far-reaching public consequences, disrupting the lives of countless innocent individuals and even leading to the downfall of entire societies (as foreshadowed in the poem's broader context, where Lucrece's death leads to the overthrow of the Roman monarchy).

Literary Devices Summary:

• Rhetorical Questions: Used to emphasize the injustice of the situation and to prompt reflection on the consequences of sin.
• Metaphor: "Public plague" powerfully portrays the widespread devastation caused by Tarquin's actions.
• Alliteration: "Let sin, alone, light alone" emphasizes the idea of isolating the sin and its consequences.
• Parallelism: The repetition of "alone" in line 3 reinforces the desire to confine the sin to the individual who committed it.
• Juxtaposition: "Guiltless souls" vs. "guilty woe" highlights the innocence of the victims compared to their suffering.
• Paradox: "Private sin in general" illustrates the conflict between the individual nature of the crime and its widespread consequences.
• Biblical Allusion/Idiom: "Upon his head" connects to the idea of accountability for one's sins.

In essence, this stanza is a powerful indictment of the ripple effects of sin and a plea for a just world where the guilty bear the sole responsibility for their actions, and the innocent are protected from the resulting devastation.