'What win I, if I gain the thing I seek?
A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy.
Who buys a minute's mirth to wail a week?
Or sells eternity to get a toy?
For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy?
Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown,
Would with the sceptre straight be strucken down?
This stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece explores the fleeting nature of pleasure gained through immoral acts, specifically referencing Tarquin's lust for Lucrece. Let's break down each line:
"What win I, if I gain the thing I seek?" This opens with a rhetorical question, posing the central dilemma for Tarquin. "The thing I seek" refers to Lucrece's violation. This immediately establishes a questioning, self-reflective tone, atypical for a villain but highlighting the internal conflict, even if ultimately suppressed.
"A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy." This line lists three metaphors depicting the ephemeral nature of the pleasure Tarquin anticipates. "Dream" suggests unreality, "breath" emphasizes its brevity, and "froth" its superficiality and lack of substance. The use of these short, evocative words creates a sense of fragility and impermanence.
"Who buys a minute's mirth to wail a week?" This is a rhetorical question that further emphasizes the disproportionate cost of the act. A "minute's mirth" represents the brief satisfaction of the rape, while "wail a week" suggests the prolonged suffering and consequences that will follow. This highlights the short-sightedness of pursuing immediate gratification.
"Or sells eternity to get a toy?" This continues the theme of disproportionate exchange, but on a grander scale. "Eternity" represents his soul, his moral standing, and his potential for future happiness, while "a toy" diminishes the act to something trivial and worthless. The hyperbole of "eternity" underscores the gravity of his choice.
"For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy?" This is a metaphor comparing the act to destroying the entire vine for just one grape. Lucrece's virtue is the "vine," a source of lasting value and beauty, while the "one sweet grape" represents the fleeting pleasure Tarquin seeks. This emphasizes the self-destructive nature of his desire.
"Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown," This introduces another metaphor, comparing Tarquin’s lust to a beggar grasping at a crown. The "fond beggar" represents Tarquin's desperation and the inappropriateness of his desire.
"Would with the sceptre straight be strucken down?" This completes the metaphor. The "sceptre" symbolizes power and authority (associated with the crown) which is immediately lost ("struck down") upon the beggar's grasping. This emphasizes the fleeting nature of power gained through immoral means and the inevitable downfall that will follow.
Overall Meaning:
The stanza is a powerful meditation on the folly of pursuing immediate gratification at the cost of long-term happiness and moral integrity. Through a series of rhetorical questions and vivid metaphors, Shakespeare illustrates the ephemeral nature of sensual pleasure and the devastating consequences of sacrificing one's virtue for it. Tarquin, through this internal dialogue (even if unspoken aloud), reveals the conflict between his base desires and a faint awareness of the ruinous outcome. The stanza foreshadows the tragedy that will unfold. The literary devices of metaphor, rhetorical questions, and the use of short, impactful words contribute to the stanza's power and emotional resonance.