Quoth she, 'Reward not hospitality
With such black payment as thou hast pretended;
Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee;
Mar not the thing that cannot be amended;
End thy ill aim before thy shoot be ended;
He is no woodman that doth bend his bow
To strike a poor unseasonable doe.
Line-by-Line Breakdown:
"Quoth she, 'Reward not hospitality": "Quoth she" is an archaic way of saying "she said." This line directly addresses Tarquin. She implores him not to repay the kindness he has been shown ("hospitality") with evil.
"With such black payment as thou hast pretended;": This line describes the betrayal. "Black payment" is a metaphor for a terrible deed, specifically rape. "Pretended" here means intended or planned, not necessarily faked. Tarquin is about to "pay" the hospitality he's received with the "black payment" he had planned - the rape of Lucrece.
"Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee;": This is a powerful metaphor. The "fountain" represents Lucrece herself, but also, more broadly, her house, family, and reputation. She is the source of comfort and hospitality for Tarquin. "Mud not the fountain" means don't defile or corrupt the source of your sustenance and kindness. This also carries a subtle allusion to chastity, purity, and the corruption thereof.
"Mar not the thing that cannot be amended;": This is a crucial line emphasizing the irreversible nature of rape and loss of honor. "Mar not" means "do not ruin or damage." "The thing that cannot be amended" refers specifically to her chastity and honor. Once lost, they cannot be restored. This line speaks to the social value placed on a woman's virtue.
"End thy ill aim before thy shoot be ended;": This line uses the metaphor of archery to illustrate Tarquin's predatory intent. "Ill aim" represents his wicked plan, while "shoot" symbolizes the act of violence itself. Lucrece begs him to stop before his malicious intention becomes a completed act of violence.
"He is no woodman that doth bend his bow": A "woodman" is a hunter. Lucrece is saying that the act of hunting a "doe" is dishonorable. This is another metaphor, continuing the archery imagery.
"To strike a poor unseasonable doe.": The "doe" (female deer) represents Lucrece herself: vulnerable, innocent, and unprotected. "Unseasonable" suggests that it is not the proper time to hunt. Lucrece is an inappropriate target; she is defenseless and has offered him hospitality. It is a cowardly and dishonorable act to target her.
Literary Devices:
Overall Meaning:
The stanza is Lucrece's desperate plea to Tarquin to reconsider his intended act of violence. She argues that raping her would be a profound betrayal of hospitality and would destroy something irreplaceable – her honor. She uses powerful metaphors of defiling a clean fountain and hunting an innocent doe to illustrate the gravity of his actions. She highlights the irreversible damage that rape would inflict on her, her family, and her reputation, and appeals to him to stop before it's too late. The stanza portrays Lucrece as intelligent, articulate, and deeply aware of the social and moral implications of Tarquin's threat. The underlying theme is the importance of honor, virtue, and the devastating consequences of betrayal and violence, particularly against the vulnerable.