Stanza 81 - Explanation

Original Stanza

Her pity-pleading eyes are sadly fix'd
In the remorseless wrinkles of his face;
Her modest eloquence with sighs is mix'd,
Which to her oratory adds more grace.
She puts the period often from his place;
And midst the sentence so her accent breaks,
That twice she doth begin ere once she speaks.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Her pity-pleading eyes are sadly fix'd"

  • Meaning: Lucrece's eyes, filled with an expression begging for pity, are focused sadly and intently on Tarquin.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: "Pity-pleading eyes" gives the eyes a human action.
    • Alliteration: "Pity-pleading"

• "In the remorseless wrinkles of his face;"

  • Meaning: She gazes at the wrinkles in Tarquin's face, which she interprets as signs of his hard, unfeeling, and unforgiving nature. The wrinkles represent his age and experience, but Shakespeare uses them to symbolize his lack of empathy.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Symbolism: Wrinkles symbolize a lack of remorse/empathy, instead of experience/wisdom.
    • Contrast: Contrast between her pity and his remorselessness.

• "Her modest eloquence with sighs is mix'd,"

  • Meaning: Lucrece's attempt at speaking eloquently is punctuated by sighs, showing her distress and emotional state. Her speech is not just words; it is also filled with physical manifestations of her suffering.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Juxtaposition: Placing eloquence (skillful speech) next to sighs (expressions of sadness) creates a contrast and emphasizes her internal conflict.

• "Which to her oratory adds more grace."

  • Meaning: The sighs, rather than detracting from her speech, paradoxically make it more moving and compelling. Her suffering enhances the power of her pleas.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Paradox: The statement seems contradictory at first glance. How can sighs, usually a sign of weakness, add grace? But in this context, they amplify the emotional impact.

• "She puts the period often from his place;"

  • Meaning: "Period" here likely means 'end' or 'conclusion'. She interrupts his planned statements or logical flow of argument. She derails him, preventing him from reaching his intended conclusion (which is implied to be his seduction or rape).
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: The "period" stands in for the conclusion of his argument/plan.
    • Euphemism: 'His place' can be interpreted as him completing his act.

• "And midst the sentence so her accent breaks,"

  • Meaning: In the middle of a sentence, her voice cracks or fails due to emotion. "Accent" here refers to her tone and vocal delivery.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Imagery: The phrase evokes a clear image of her breaking voice.

• "That twice she doth begin ere once she speaks."

  • Meaning: She starts to speak twice before she can complete even one full utterance. This highlights her overwhelming distress and difficulty in forming coherent sentences.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Repetition: The emphasis on "twice" underscores her difficulty.
    • Hyperbole: Potentially, but more likely emphasizes the emotional turmoil.

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza vividly depicts Lucrece's desperate attempt to dissuade Tarquin from his wicked intentions through her words. It is a portrait of her struggle to maintain composure and use language effectively while battling overwhelming fear and grief. The stanza emphasizes the powerlessness and vulnerability of Lucrece. Her pleas are not just words, but a mix of eloquent arguments, desperate sighs, and broken utterances. She is trying to use language as a weapon, but her emotional state makes her efforts fragmented and ultimately ineffective. The contrast between her eloquence and her broken voice, her pity and his remorselessness, highlights the tragic nature of her situation. The stanza foreshadows her eventual powerlessness and rape, showing the futility of her resistance in the face of Tarquin's unwavering resolve.