Stanza 76 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'But if thou yield, I rest thy secret friend:
The fault unknown is as a thought unacted;
A little harm done to a great good end
For lawful policy remains enacted.
The poisonous simple sometimes is compacted
In a pure compound; being so applied,
His venom in effect is purified.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "But if thou yield, I rest thy secret friend:"

  • Meaning: This is Tarquin speaking to Lucrece. He's saying, "If you give in to my desires (yield sexually), I will remain your hidden ally/friend."
  • Literary Devices: Directly addresses Lucrece, trying to persuade and soften the blow.

• "The fault unknown is as a thought unacted;"

  • Meaning: "If no one finds out about this sin (the rape), it's as if it never even happened; it's like a thought that was never acted upon." He minimizes the impact of the act.
  • Literary Devices: Simile: "as a thought unacted." Compares the unseen transgression to an action never taken, diminishing its weight.

• "A little harm done to a great good end"

  • Meaning: This is rationalization. He argues that this small "harm" (the rape) could lead to a greater good, though he doesn't specify what that "good" might be (perhaps political alliance, personal gain, etc.).
  • Literary Devices: Justification, twisted logic. It’s a manipulative tactic.

• "For lawful policy remains enacted."

  • Meaning: This is a tricky line. It suggests that the "good end" somehow relates to the established laws and customs (policy). He implies that his actions serve some greater, legally sanctioned purpose, even if it's not immediately apparent. It’s a vague, self-serving justification.
  • Literary Devices: Ambiguity; it's not clear what lawful policy this serves, making it more of a rhetorical flourish than a genuine argument.

• "The poisonous simple sometimes is compacted"

  • Meaning: "A poisonous substance (simple) is sometimes mixed (compacted) with other elements..."
  • Literary Devices: Analogy/Metaphor: The poisonous simple acts as a metaphor for the rape.

• "In a pure compound; being so applied,"

  • Meaning: "...into a pure medicine/compound. When used in this way..."
  • Literary Devices: Continues the Analogy/Metaphor: the pure compound is what he claims to be the resultant effect.

• "His venom in effect is purified."

  • Meaning: "...its poison is effectively neutralized or made harmless."
  • Literary Devices: Completes the Analogy/Metaphor: implies that the rape will be nullified and the result will be positive.
  • Further notes on Analogy/Metaphor: This is the most important literary device here. The analogy to medicine is deeply ironic because Tarquin is clearly not acting as a healer. Instead, he is attempting to justify his base actions by suggesting that they can be somehow transformed into something beneficial. He wants to convince Lucrece that the act itself can be rendered harmless, even "pure," through some unspecified transformation.

Overall Meaning:

In this stanza, Tarquin is using a series of manipulative and twisted arguments to persuade Lucrece to yield to his desires. He attempts to minimize the significance of the act, suggesting it can remain a secret, that it could serve a greater good, and that, like a poisonous substance used in medicine, the harm can be turned into something beneficial.

The stanza is a showcase of sophistry, where Tarquin employs clever-sounding but ultimately false or misleading reasoning to achieve his selfish goal. The medicinal analogy is particularly insidious, as it presents a violent and immoral act as potentially therapeutic or even purifying, highlighting the depths of Tarquin's depravity and his willingness to rationalize his actions. The stanza reveals his cunning and his complete lack of remorse or empathy for Lucrece. The "secret friend" line, in particular, is filled with false promises, as Tarquin has no intention of being a true friend to her. Instead, he seeks only to exploit and control her.