Stanza 219 - Explanation

Original Stanza

This picture she advisedly perused,
And chid the painter for his wondrous skill,
Saying some shape in Sinon’s was abused;
So fair a form lodged not a mind so ill.
And still on him she gazed, and gazing still,
Such signs of truth in his plain face she spied,
That she concludes the picture was belied.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 219 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line and then synthesize it for an overall meaning:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "This picture she advisedly perused,"

  • "This picture": Refers to a picture Lucrece is looking at, depicting the Trojan War. Specifically, it portrays Sinon deceiving the Trojans to let the wooden horse into the city.
  • "she advisedly": "Advisedly" means thoughtfully, carefully, deliberately. Lucrece is not just glancing at the picture; she is studying it intently and with purpose.
  • "perused": Examined in detail; scrutinized.
  • Meaning: Lucrece carefully and thoughtfully examined the picture.

• "And chid the painter for his wondrous skill,"

  • "chid": Scolded or rebuked.
  • "the painter": The artist who created the picture.
  • "wondrous skill": Amazing artistic ability.
  • Meaning: Lucrece scolds the painter for being so good at his craft. This is ironic; she is not truly angry with the painter's skill, but rather with the depiction of evil he has captured.

• "Saying some shape in Sinon’s was abused;"

  • "some shape in Sinon's": A certain aspect of Sinon's physical appearance (in the painting).
  • "abused": Misrepresented or wrongly used.
  • Meaning: She says that something about the way Sinon is portrayed in the picture is wrong. His image has been misrepresented.

• "So fair a form lodged not a mind so ill."

  • "So fair a form": Such a beautiful or handsome appearance. "Form" refers to his physical shape and features.
  • "lodged not a mind so ill": Could not contain such an evil mind. The physical appearance does not reflect the evilness within.
  • Meaning: She believes that someone with such a handsome face couldn't possibly have such a wicked mind. This is a statement about the perceived relationship between outward appearance and inner character. It plays on the common (but often incorrect) assumption that beauty reflects goodness.

• "And still on him she gazed, and gazing still,"

  • "still": Continuously, constantly.
  • "gazed, and gazing still": She continues to stare at him.
  • Meaning: She continues to gaze at the portrait of Sinon. The repetition of "still" emphasizes the intensity and duration of her gaze.

• "Such signs of truth in his plain face she spied,"

  • "signs of truth": Evidence or indications of honesty and sincerity.
  • "plain face": Sinon's face is described as plain, suggesting a lack of overt evil in his features. It could also indicate a certain perceived innocence or lack of artifice.
  • "spied": Saw or detected.
  • Meaning: She thinks she sees signs of truthfulness and sincerity in his simple, unassuming face.

• "That she concludes the picture was belied."

  • "concludes": Decides; comes to the judgment.
  • "belied": Falsely represented or misrepresented.
  • Meaning: Because of what she sees in his face, she decides that the picture has misrepresented Sinon's true nature. She believes the picture is lying about him.

Overall Meaning and Literary Devices:

The stanza is about Lucrece's internal struggle as she looks at a painting of Sinon. She is grappling with the idea that someone who appears outwardly handsome and perhaps even innocent could be capable of such deception and evil.

Here are the key takeaways and literary devices:

• Appearance vs. Reality: This is the central theme. Lucrece struggles to reconcile Sinon's seemingly "fair form" with his evil deeds. The stanza explores the deceptive nature of appearances.
• Irony: The second line presents situational irony. She scolds the painter for his "wondrous skill," but she is actually disturbed by the accurate portrayal of evil.
• Character Development: This stanza provides insight into Lucrece's character. She is portrayed as someone who instinctively believes in the goodness of people, or at least struggles to accept that outward appearance can mask inner depravity. Her reaction shows her naivety and virtue, which will ultimately make her fall even more tragic.
• Foreshadowing: While Lucrece thinks the picture is lying about Sinon, we, the audience, know that it isn't. Sinon was deceptive and evil. This creates dramatic irony and subtly foreshadows Lucrece's own deception by Tarquin. She is projecting her own desire to see goodness onto Sinon, which mirrors how she will be deceived by Tarquin's seemingly honorable exterior.
• Repetition: The repetition of "still" emphasizes the intensity and duration of Lucrece's gaze and her preoccupation with the picture.
• Juxtaposition: The juxtaposition of "fair form" and "mind so ill" highlights the contradiction that Lucrece is struggling with.

In essence, this stanza reveals Lucrece's innocent perception of the world and sets the stage for her own tragic encounter with deception and evil. She is unable to comprehend that outward appearances can be deeply misleading, a flaw that Tarquin will exploit. This moment reveals a critical aspect of her character and foreshadows her tragic fate.