But beauty, in that white intituled,
From Venus' doves doth challenge that fair field:
Then virtue claims from beauty beauty's red,
Which virtue gave the golden age to gild
Their silver cheeks, and call'd it then their shield;
Teaching them thus to use it in the fight,
When shame assail'd, the red should fence the white.
This stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece is a complex allegory about the conflict between beauty and virtue, using the imagery of a battlefield to illustrate their intertwined relationship. Let's break down each line:
"But beauty, in that white intituled," This line introduces the central conflict. "Beauty" is personified, and "in that white intituled" refers to Lucrece's fair skin, which is seen as a symbol of her purity and virtue. "Intituled" means "entitled" or "vested," suggesting that beauty has a claim to this whiteness.
"From Venus' doves doth challenge that fair field:" This line introduces a challenge. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, whose doves symbolize beauty and desire, challenges for the "fair field," which represents Lucrece's beauty and virtue. This establishes a conflict between the inherent attractiveness of Lucrece and the potential for that beauty to be violated. This is an example of metaphor (fair field = Lucrece's virtue and beauty) and allusion (to Venus and her doves).
"Then virtue claims from beauty beauty's red," This line shifts the focus to virtue. "Beauty's red" likely refers to the blush of modesty or the redness of blood, representing the potential for shame or injury resulting from the violation of virtue. Virtue is claiming this "red," suggesting a protective or restorative role.
"Which virtue gave the golden age to gild / Their silver cheeks, and call'd it then their shield;" This line invokes the Golden Age, a mythical period of innocence and purity. Virtue, during this age, bestowed the blush ("gild their silver cheeks") as a protective shield against shame. This is an example of metaphor (Golden Age representing a time of pure virtue) and personification (virtue giving and calling the blush a shield).
"Teaching them thus to use it in the fight, / When shame assail'd, the red should fence the white." This line concludes the allegory. Virtue teaches the use of this "red" (blush/blood) as a defense against shame ("the fight") which threatens the "white" (Lucrece's purity). "Fence" signifies protection. This is a continuation of the metaphor of battle.
Overall Meaning:
The stanza explores the relationship between beauty and virtue, presenting them as forces that are both interconnected and potentially at odds. Lucrece's beauty ("the white") is vulnerable to violation, but virtue ("the red") offers protection against such attacks. The "red" is not simply a sign of shame, but a symbol of the resilience and potential for defense against the corrupting influences that threaten beauty's innocence. The stanza foreshadows the impending rape and the conflict between beauty and virtue that will unfold. The image of a battle prepares the reader for the devastating conflict to come. The beauty of Lucrece is challenged, and virtue is presented as a shield against that challenge, even if that shield involves the potential for suffering and bloody consequences.