Stanza 218 - Explanation

Original Stanza

The well-skilled workman this mild image drew
For perjured Sinon, whose enchanting story
The credulous Old Priam after slew;
Whose words like wildfire burnt the shining glory
Of rich-built Ilion, that the skies were sorry,
And little stars shot from their fixed places,
When their glass fell wherein they viewed their faces.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 218 from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line and then synthesize the overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "The well-skilled workman this mild image drew"

  • Meaning: A talented artist depicted a gentle, innocent-looking image (of Sinon).
  • Literary Devices:
    • Epithet: "Well-skilled workman" is a descriptive adjective phrase used to characterize the artist.
    • Imagery: The word "drew" suggests a visual image.

• "For perjured Sinon, whose enchanting story"

  • Meaning: The artist created the image to represent Sinon, who was a liar and a deceiver, but whose tale was captivating and persuasive.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Epithet: "Perjured Sinon" identifies Sinon with his deceitfulness.
    • Allusion: Sinon is a reference to a character from Greek mythology (Trojan War), known for tricking the Trojans into accepting the Trojan Horse.

• "The credulous Old Priam after slew;"

  • Meaning: Old King Priam, being easily deceived, believed Sinon's lies, which ultimately led to his own death (after the sack of Troy, he was killed).
  • Literary Devices:
    • Epithet: "Credulous Old Priam" emphasizes Priam's gullibility and age.
    • Allusion: Refers to Priam, the king of Troy.

• "Whose words like wildfire burnt the shining glory"

  • Meaning: Sinon's deceptive words spread rapidly and destructively, consuming the magnificent and glorious city.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Simile: "Words like wildfire" compares the destructive power of Sinon's lies to the uncontrolled spread of a fire.
    • Metaphor: Sinon's words are metaphorically seen as fire.
    • Imagery: "Burnt," "shining glory" evoke vivid images of destruction.

• "Of rich-built Ilion, that the skies were sorry,"

  • Meaning: The destruction of the beautifully constructed city of Troy (Ilion) was so catastrophic that even the heavens mourned it.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: "The skies were sorry" gives human emotions to the natural world.
    • Allusion: "Ilion" is another name for Troy.
    • Hyperbole: Exaggeration to emphasize the severity of the city's destruction.

• "And little stars shot from their fixed places,"

  • Meaning: The universe itself was disrupted by the tragedy, with stars seemingly falling from the sky in response to the devastation.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Imagery: "Stars shot from their fixed places" creates a striking visual image of cosmic disturbance.
    • Hyperbole: The stars falling from the sky is obviously an exaggeration, serving to emphasize the magnitude of the tragedy.

• "When their glass fell wherein they viewed their faces."

  • Meaning: The "glass" is likely a metaphor for the heavens itself, reflecting the beauty and order of the world. When Troy fell, this reflection was shattered, representing a loss of harmony and a distortion of reality. The stars and other celestial bodies are seen as having their own reflections, and the destruction of Troy shattered these reflections.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Glass" represents the cosmos, the heavens.
    • Symbolism: The shattering of the glass symbolizes the shattering of order, beauty, and the proper reflection of reality.
    • Imagery: The image of a shattered mirror is powerful and evokes a sense of loss.

Overall Meaning:

Stanza 218 uses the well-known story of Sinon and the fall of Troy to illustrate the power of deception and the catastrophic consequences that can result from it. The artist who drew Sinon's "mild image" inadvertently contributed to the tragedy by portraying a deceptive figure in a way that concealed his true nature. Sinon's lies, like a wildfire, consumed the glorious city of Troy, causing such profound devastation that even the heavens mourned, and the cosmos itself seemed to be disrupted. The shattered "glass" symbolizes the utter destruction of Troy's beauty and order, and the distorted reflection represents the triumph of deception over truth. This stanza serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of credulity and the far-reaching consequences of deceit. It connects to the larger themes of The Rape of Lucrece by highlighting the destructive potential of lies and injustice, and foreshadows the tragic events that will unfold as a result of Tarquin's actions.

Key Takeaways:

• Deception's Power: The stanza emphasizes how persuasive lies can be and how easily they can lead to destruction.
• Consequences of Gullibility: Priam's credulity is directly linked to the fall of Troy, demonstrating the dangers of naiveté.
• Cosmic Significance: The imagery of the skies and stars underscores the magnitude of the tragedy, suggesting that the destruction of Troy had profound implications beyond the human realm.
• Loss of Innocence and Order: The broken "glass" symbolizes the shattered beauty and harmony of the world due to deceit and violence.