Stanza 259 - Explanation

Original Stanza

Brutus, who plucked the knife from Lucrece’ side,
Seeing such emulation in their woe,
Began to clothe his wit in state and pride,
Burying in Lucrece’ wound his folly’s show.
He with the Romans was esteemed so
As silly jeering idiots are with kings,
For sportive words and utt’ring foolish things.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Let's break down this stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Brutus, who plucked the knife from Lucrece’ side,"

  • "Brutus": Refers to Lucius Junius Brutus, a Roman nobleman and a key figure in the events following Lucrece's death.
  • "who plucked the knife from Lucrece' side": This sets the scene, highlighting Brutus's immediate action after Lucrece's suicide. It emphasizes the act of discovering her death.

• "Seeing such emulation in their woe,"

  • "Seeing": Implies observation and awareness.
  • "such emulation": Suggests a competition or comparison.
  • "in their woe": Referring to the other men (likely her husband Collatinus, her father, and perhaps other male relatives) mourning Lucrece. It could also mean a competitive display of grief.

• "Began to clothe his wit in state and pride,"

  • "Began to clothe": A metaphor signifying Brutus's deliberate change in demeanor.
  • "his wit": His intelligence or cleverness.
  • "in state and pride": This means he started to present himself with dignity, seriousness, and a sense of self-importance. He is shedding his previous mask of foolishness.

• "Burying in Lucrece’ wound his folly’s show."

  • "Burying": Another metaphor. It's about hiding his foolishness.
  • "in Lucrece’ wound": This is the focal point - it is the tragic event of Lucrece's death that hides his folly, and is now the point of attention.
  • "his folly’s show": The display of his previous foolish behavior.

• "He with the Romans was esteemed so"

  • "He with the Romans": The people of Rome.
  • "was esteemed so": Was previously regarded as.

• "As silly jeering idiots are with kings,"

  • "silly jeering idiots": Foolish, mocking, and perhaps harmless characters.
  • "are with kings": This simile compares Brutus's previous standing to that of a court jester or someone unimportant in the presence of royalty. It means he was looked upon as foolish.

• "For sportive words and utt’ring foolish things."

  • "For sportive words": Because he used to make jokes or play.
  • "utt'ring foolish things": Saying foolish, empty things.

Literary Devices:

• Metaphor: "Began to clothe his wit," "Burying in Lucrece' wound his folly's show."
• Simile: "As silly jeering idiots are with kings,"
• Alliteration: "woe" and "wound"
• Imagery: The visual of Brutus at the scene with Lucrece's dead body.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza marks a pivotal moment in the narrative. It describes Brutus's transformation from a seemingly foolish, harmless individual (who was underestimated by the other Romans) to someone who strategically uses the tragedy of Lucrece's death to his advantage. The stanza explains how Brutus was perceived - as a jester. However, he used the event as an opportunity to hide his true personality, while hiding his foolishness in the attention on Lucrece's tragedy, and revealing a more serious and dignified persona. He has calculatedly chosen this moment, the scene of grief and outrage, to shed his mask and make his intentions known. The stanza is a set-up for the rebellion to follow and lays the foundation for his eventual role in overthrowing the Tarquin monarchy. The poem emphasizes the depth of deception and planning behind Brutus's character.