And therein heartens up his servile powers,
Who, flatter'd by their leader's jocund show,
Stuff up his lust, as minutes fill up hours;
And as their captain, so their pride doth grow,
Paying more slavish tribute than they owe.
By reprobate desire thus madly led,
The Roman lord marcheth to Lucrece' bed.
This stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece depicts Tarquin's descent into lust and his impending assault on Lucrece. Let's break it down line by line:
"And therein heartens up his servile powers," This line introduces Tarquin's "servile powers," which are his base instincts and desires, acting as his subservient forces. The verb "heartens" signifies that Tarquin encourages and emboldens these base desires within himself. This use of personification grants agency to his lustful impulses.
"Who, flatter'd by their leader's jocund show," This line explains how Tarquin's lustful desires are fueled. His own cheerful and playful ("jocund") demeanor ("leader's jocund show") flatters and encourages them. The use of "flatter'd" implies a deceptive self-deception; Tarquin's outward joy masks the darkness within.
"Stuff up his lust, as minutes fill up hours;" This line uses a simile ("as minutes fill up hours") to illustrate how Tarquin's lust grows uncontrollably. Just as minutes accumulate to form hours, so his base desires accumulate and intensify, filling him completely. "Stuff up" vividly portrays the overwhelming and suffocating nature of his lust.
"And as their captain, so their pride doth grow," This line continues the military metaphor. Tarquin's lustful desires are depicted as soldiers ("their"), and their growing "pride" mirrors his own increasing confidence, fueled by his unchecked passion. This emphasizes the escalating nature of his depravity.
"Paying more slavish tribute than they owe." Here, the metaphor shifts slightly. His desires, once his servants, are now demanding more than he initially intended, showing how lust consumes and enslaves. The phrase "slavish tribute" emphasizes the humiliating and excessive nature of this surrender to his passions.
"By reprobate desire thus madly led," This line summarizes Tarquin's state. "Reprobate desire" refers to his wicked and morally condemned lust. The adverb "madly" highlights the irrational and uncontrolled nature of his actions.
"The Roman lord marcheth to Lucrece' bed." This final line concludes the stanza with a stark and ominous statement. Tarquin, the "Roman lord," is now fully committed to his vile act, marching towards Lucrece's bed – signifying his impending rape. The word "marcheth" lends a sense of inevitability and grim determination.
Overall Meaning: The stanza depicts the internal struggle and ultimate triumph of Tarquin's base desires. Shakespeare uses powerful imagery and metaphors—particularly the military metaphor—to illustrate how Tarquin's lust grows exponentially, fuelled by self-deception and unchecked passion, leading him inexorably to commit the horrific act of rape. The stanza emphasizes the destructive power of unchecked desire and the self-deception that often accompanies moral failings. The dramatic irony lies in the fact that Tarquin, a Roman lord, is about to be consumed by his own depravity.