🌹 Stanza 114 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘And when thou hast on foot the purblind hare,
Mark the poor wretch, to overshoot his troubles     
How he outruns the winds, and with what care
He cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles:
The many musits through the which he goes
Are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "And when thou hast on foot the purblind hare,"

"thou hast on foot": An archaic way of saying "when you have started pursuing" or "when you have flushed out and are chasing." It sets the scene for the chase.
"purblind hare": "Purblind" means nearly blind or dim-sighted. Hares are known for their poor eyesight, relying more on hearing and smell. Shakespeare chooses this word to emphasize the hare's vulnerability and inherent disadvantage against a pursuer, subtly evoking pity.
Meaning: "And when you begin to chase the nearly blind hare,"

Line 2: "Mark the poor wretch, to overshoot his troubles"

"Mark the poor wretch": "Mark" means observe or pay attention to. "Poor wretch" is an expression of pity and sympathy, portraying the hare as a miserable, unfortunate creature caught in a desperate situation. Shakespeare uses this to elicit empathy from Adonis (and the reader).
"to overshoot his troubles": "Overshoot" here means to outrun, escape, or surpass his dangers or problems. It implies a frantic, desperate effort to leave the threats far behind, emphasizing the intensity of its flight.
Meaning: "Observe the unfortunate creature, how it attempts to outrun its dangers and problems"

Line 3: "How he outruns the winds, and with what care"

"How he outruns the winds": A hyperbole (exaggeration) to emphasize the hare's incredible speed, suggesting it runs faster than the wind itself. This highlights its desperate athleticism in the face of danger.
"with what care": "Care" here means with what caution, precision, and diligent effort. It suggests the hare's movements are not just frantic but also calculated and strategic, driven by a deep instinct for survival.
Meaning: "See how it runs with astonishing speed, as if outrunning the wind, and with what great caution and effort"

Line 4: "He cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles:"

"He cranks": "Cranks" means he turns sharply, suddenly, or with a sudden jerk. It depicts the hare's abrupt changes in direction.
"crosses": He runs across its own path, or zig-zags across the terrain, confusing the scent and path for the pursuer.
"a thousand doubles": "Doubles" refers to the specific evasive maneuvers of a hare, where it turns sharply back on its own tracks to mislead dogs. "A thousand" is a hyperbole, emphasizing the numerous and intricate evasive tactics it employs. Shakespeare uses this to convey the hare's extreme cunning and desperation.
Meaning: "It makes sharp, sudden turns and zig-zags, performing countless evasive maneuvers by turning back on its own tracks:"

Line 5: "The many musits through the which he goes"

"The many musits": "Musit" (or "muset") is an archaic term for a small hole or gap in a hedge or fence, or a well-worn path through thickets, specifically used by hares as escape routes. It refers to the secret, often unseen, passages the hare knows and utilizes.
"through the which he goes": Through which he passes or escapes.
Meaning: "The many small, hidden paths or escape routes through which it flees"

Line 6: "Are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes."

"Are like a labyrinth": A simile comparing the hare's complex, winding escape routes and its intricate maneuvers to a maze. This vividly illustrates the confusing and perplexing nature of its flight for the pursuers.
"to amaze his foes": "Amaze" here means to confound, bewilder, or utterly confuse. It's not about inspiring wonder, but about disorienting and baffling the pursuers (the dogs and hunter).
Meaning: "Are like a complex maze designed to utterly confuse its enemies."

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Imagery	"purblind hare," "outruns the winds," "cranks and crosses," "thousand doubles," "many musits," "labyrinth"	Creates vivid mental pictures of the hare's desperate flight, its intricate maneuvers, and the confusing terrain, immersing the reader in the intensity and complexity of the chase.
Hyperbole	"outruns the winds," "a thousand doubles"	Exaggerates the hare's speed and the number of its evasive maneuvers, emphasizing the creature's immense, almost superhuman effort and desperation to survive.
Simile	"Are like a labyrinth"	Compares the hare's escape routes and movements to a complex maze, effectively conveying how disorienting and baffling its tactics are for its pursuers.
Personification	"poor wretch," "to overshoot his troubles," "with what care"	Attributes human-like qualities of suffering, intention, and calculated strategy to the hare, designed to evoke empathy and pity from Adonis and the reader, making its plight more sympathetic.
Pathos	"Mark the poor wretch," "to overshoot his troubles"	Appeals directly to Adonis's (and the reader's) emotions by portraying the hare as a vulnerable, suffering creature attempting a desperate escape, thereby making Venus's argument against hunting such an animal more persuasive.
Alliteration	"purblind hare," "cranks and crosses," "many musits"	Creates a pleasing rhythmic effect and adds emphasis to the quick, often erratic, movements and characteristics of the hare, enhancing the vividness of the description.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a crucial part of Venus's extended rhetorical appeal to Adonis, where she attempts to dissuade him from hunting the dangerous boar and instead persuade him to join her in hunting less perilous game, specifically the hare.

The overall meaning of the stanza is a detailed and highly empathetic description of a hare's desperate struggle for survival when pursued. Venus paints a vivid picture of the hare's vulnerability ("purblind hare," "poor wretch") combined with its astonishing ingenuity and effort ("outruns the winds," "cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles," "many musits... like a labyrinth"). She emphasizes the sheer "sport" of observing the hare's cunning evasion rather than the violent act of killing.

In the broader context of the poem, this stanza serves several significant purposes:

Redefining the Hunt: Venus seeks to redefine Adonis's concept of a worthy hunt. She contrasts the terrifying, destructive boar (which she warns against earlier) with the pitiable yet cunning hare. For Venus, the true pleasure in hunting the hare lies not in conquest or bloodshed, but in appreciating the creature's desperate art of evasion. This aligns with her own pursuit of Adonis, which is framed as a "gentle" chase for love, not a violent subjugation.
Moral Persuasion and Pathos: By highlighting the hare's vulnerability and its ingenious struggle, Venus appeals to Adonis's empathy and a sense of pity. She attempts to soften his hardened resolve against love and against non-threatening animals, hoping he will find the observation of such a creature more compelling than the brutal confrontation with a boar.
Metaphor for Love's Pursuit: Subtly, the hare's "thousand doubles" and "labyrinthine" escapes could mirror the complex, often frustrating, nature of Venus's pursuit of Adonis. Just as the hare evades its pursuers, Adonis constantly evades Venus's advances. This stanza might be a veiled lesson for Adonis on the art of gentle pursuit and the beauty found in the chase itself, rather than the immediate capture.
Nature's Cunning vs. Brute Force: The stanza celebrates the intelligence and instinctual cunning of a seemingly weak creature. It suggests that there is a profound beauty and wonder in observing such natural ingenuity, presenting a more cerebral and less violent form of engagement with nature, which Venus hopes Adonis will embrace.