Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis
Now is she in the very lists of love,
Her champion mounted for the hot encounter:
All is imaginary she doth prove,
He will not manage her, although he mount her;
That worse than Tantalus’ is her annoy,
To clip Elysium and to lack her joy.
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Extended Tournament Metaphor | "lists of love," "champion mounted," "hot encounter" | Transforms the sexual encounter into a chivalric tournament, elevating and dramatizing the scene |
| Double Entendre | "mounted," "mount," "manage" | Uses equestrian terms that carry both literal and sexual meanings |
| Classical Allusion | "Tantalus," "Elysium" | References Greek mythology to emphasize the extremity of Venus's torment |
| Irony | Physical proximity but emotional/sexual distance | Highlights the gap between Venus's expectations and reality |
| Contrast | "clip Elysium" vs. "lack her joy" | Juxtaposes having everything and having nothing simultaneously |
| Personification | Love as having "lists" (tournament grounds) | Makes love into a formal, organized arena for combat |
| Hyperbole | "worse than Tantalus'" | Exaggerates Venus's suffering by comparing it to mythological eternal punishment |
| Oxymoron | Being mounted but not managed | Presents contradictory physical and emotional states |
This stanza represents the climax of Venus's physical pursuit and the moment of her ultimate frustration. Despite achieving physical intimacy with Adonis, she discovers that physical proximity without emotional consent is meaningless and torturous.
The Tournament of Love: The medieval tournament metaphor elevates this encounter to a formal, chivalric context. Venus sees herself as having finally reached the arena where love's battles are decided, with Adonis as her champion ready to fight for her.
Reality vs. Fantasy: The devastating line "All is imaginary she doth prove" reveals that Venus's entire seductive campaign has been based on fantasy. Her interpretation of Adonis's actions and responses has been wishful thinking rather than reality.
Physical vs. Emotional Intimacy: The contrast between being "mounted" but not "managed" captures the essential emptiness of physical contact without mutual desire. Venus learns that forced intimacy provides no satisfaction.
Mythological Torment: The comparison to Tantalus is particularly apt—Venus can see, touch, and hold what she desires, but cannot truly possess or enjoy it. This makes her suffering worse than simple deprivation.
Paradise Lost: "To clip Elysium and to lack her joy" perfectly captures Venus's situation—she has achieved what should be perfect happiness (physical union with Adonis) but finds it completely unsatisfying without his willing participation.
The Failure of Force: This stanza represents the complete failure of Venus's aggressive seduction strategy. All her rhetoric, persistence, and even physical dominance cannot create the mutual desire necessary for true fulfillment.
Gender Role Reversal: Venus is positioned as the one seeking satisfaction while Adonis remains passive, reversing traditional gender expectations about sexual desire and initiative.
The Nature of Consent: Shakespeare explores the concept that physical compliance is meaningless without emotional engagement—a sophisticated understanding of consent for his era.
Climactic Irony: This moment should be Venus's triumph, but instead becomes her greatest defeat. The achievement of her goal reveals the goal's worthlessness without Adonis's genuine participation.
This stanza serves as the poem's central revelation about the nature of love and desire—that they cannot be forced, conquered, or won through persistence alone, but require mutual feeling to have any meaning.