Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis
'Where did I leave?' 'No matter where,' quoth he
'Leave me, and then the story aptly ends:
The night is spent,' 'Why, what of that?' quoth she.
'I am,' quoth he, 'expected of my friends;
And now 'tis dark, and going I shall fall.'
'In night,' quoth she, 'desire sees best of all.'
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Dialogue | Alternating speeches between Venus and Adonis | Creates dramatic tension and shows their conflicting desires directly |
| Irony | Adonis uses darkness as excuse while Venus sees it as opportunity | Highlights their completely different perspectives on the same situation |
| Metaphorical Language | "desire sees best of all" | Personifies desire as having sight, suggesting passion has its own form of vision |
| Practical vs. Romantic | Adonis cites friends, time, safety; Venus cites desire | Contrasts mundane concerns with passionate imperatives |
| Wordplay | "leave" (depart) and "leave" (stop talking) | Creates double meaning that connects physical and verbal departure |
| Time Imagery | "night is spent," "'tis dark" | Uses temporal progression to show the extended nature of their encounter |
| Contrast | Day concerns vs. night opportunities | Opposes practical daytime thinking with nighttime passion |
| Interruption | Broken speeches and quick exchanges | Shows the urgency and frustration in their conversation |
This stanza captures a crucial moment of direct confrontation between Venus and Adonis, where their fundamental incompatibility becomes starkly apparent through rapid-fire dialogue. It demonstrates how the same circumstances can be interpreted completely differently by people with opposing desires.
The Battle of Perspectives: Venus and Adonis view every element of their situation differently—time, darkness, social obligations, and desire itself. What Adonis sees as obstacles, Venus sees as opportunities.
Practical vs. Passionate: Adonis's concerns are entirely practical—social obligations, safety, appropriate timing. Venus's responses are entirely emotional—dismissing practical concerns in favor of passion.
The Futility of Dialogue: This exchange shows how impossible meaningful communication becomes when two people have fundamentally different goals. They're talking past each other rather than to each other.
Night as Symbol: Darkness becomes a symbol of their different natures. For Adonis, it represents danger and inappropriateness; for Venus, it represents opportunity and the proper time for love.
Social vs. Individual Desires: Adonis references his friends and social expectations, showing he lives within a community structure. Venus recognizes no authority beyond desire itself.
The Persistence of Desire: Venus's final line reveals her philosophy—that passion operates by its own rules and sees most clearly when freed from social constraints and daylight propriety.
Temporal Urgency: The passage of night into day adds urgency to their conflict. Time is running out for both of them—for Adonis to escape, and for Venus to succeed.
Direct Rejection: Adonis's "Leave me" is the most direct rejection he has given Venus so far. Her response shows she will not accept even explicit refusal.
Metaphysical Argument: Venus's claim that "desire sees best of all" in night presents a sophisticated argument that passion has its own form of knowledge superior to rational sight.
Gender and Power: The rapid dialogue format equalizes them temporarily—both get to speak, both make arguments. But it also shows how differently they use language and logic.
This stanza represents the breakdown of Venus's elaborate rhetorical strategies into direct confrontation, revealing that no amount of persuasion can bridge the fundamental gap between willing and unwilling participants in love.