When at Collatium this false lord arrived,
Well was he welcomed by the Roman dame,
Within whose face beauty and virtue strived
Which of them both should underprop her fame:
When virtue bragg'd, beauty would blush for shame;
When beauty boasted blushes, in despite
Virtue would stain that o'er with silver white.
This stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece describes Tarquin's arrival at Collatium and Lucrece's inherent internal conflict between her beauty and her virtue. Let's break it down line by line:
"When at Collatium this false lord arrived," This sets the scene. "Collatium" is the location, establishing the context. "False lord" immediately characterizes Tarquin, foreshadowing his treachery. The word "false" is a key epithet, establishing his deceptive nature.
"Well was he welcomed by the Roman dame," This introduces Lucrece, referred to as a "Roman dame," highlighting her social standing and emphasizing the irony of her impending violation. The phrase "well was he welcomed" creates a sense of deceptive normalcy before the tragedy unfolds. This is irony.
"Within whose face beauty and virtue strived / Which of them both should underprop her fame:" This is the central image of the stanza. Lucrece's beauty and virtue are personified and presented as being in conflict. They "strive" – compete – for dominance in shaping her reputation ("fame"). "Underprop" suggests a support or foundation for her reputation. This is personification.
"When virtue bragg'd, beauty would blush for shame; / When beauty boasted blushes, in despite / Virtue would stain that o'er with silver white." This describes the dynamic between beauty and virtue. "Bragg'd" and "boasted" are verbs that illustrate the competitive nature of these qualities. When virtue is prominent, beauty feels ashamed ("blush for shame"). Conversely, when beauty asserts itself through blushing, virtue subtly counters it ("stain that o'er with silver white"). "Silver white" likely refers to a chaste, pure white color, further enhancing the contrast. This section uses antithesis (contrasting ideas) and metaphor (the blushing and staining represent the internal struggle).
Overall Meaning:
The stanza depicts Lucrece as a woman of exceptional beauty and virtue, qualities that are in a delicate and constant tension within her. Her internal conflict is not a battle between good and evil, but a conflict between two positive but potentially opposing aspects of her identity. Shakespeare highlights the vulnerability of her virtue in the face of Tarquin's impending attack. The apparent harmony of the welcome masks the inner struggle and foreshadows the destructive power of Tarquin's evil, which will shatter this balance and ultimately lead to Lucrece's tragedy. The stanza thus prepares the reader for the rape, emphasizing the internal strength Lucrece possesses which will be brutally violated. The imagery of blushing and staining symbolizes the inherent tension between outward beauty and inner purity, a tension that Tarquin will exploit.