🌹 Stanza 13 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

Still she entreats, and prettily entreats,
For to a pretty ear she tunes her tale;
Still is he sullen, still he lours and frets,
‘Twixt crimson shame and anger ashy-pale;    
Being red she loves him best; and being white,
Her best is better’d with a more delight.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: Still she entreats, and prettily entreats,

"Still": This word emphasizes persistence and continuity. Venus is not giving up; she continues her pleas without interruption.
"entreats": Means to earnestly beg or plead. Shakespeare uses this to convey Venus's desperate and passionate appeals to Adonis.
"prettily entreats": This highlights Venus's inherent charm and beauty, even in her persistent begging. It suggests her manner of pleading is itself attractive and alluring, emphasizing her seductive nature. Shakespeare uses "prettily" to show that Venus's appeal is not just in her words but in her captivating demeanor.
Meaning: She continues to beg him, and does so in an attractive and charming manner.

Line 2: For to a pretty ear she tunes her tale;

"For": In this context, "for" means "because."
"to a pretty ear": This refers to Adonis, whose ear is described as "pretty," signifying his youthful beauty and perfection. It implies that Venus believes her words are directed at a listener worthy of such eloquence, or perhaps that his beauty makes him seem more receptive.
"tunes her tale": This is a metaphorical expression. Just as a musician tunes an instrument for a pleasing sound, Venus carefully crafts and adjusts her arguments, stories, and expressions of love to be most appealing and persuasive to Adonis. "Tale" here means her discourse or narrative of love.
Meaning: Because she addresses her story to a beautiful listener, she carefully crafts her words to be pleasing and persuasive.

Line 3: Still is he sullen, still he lours and frets,

"Still": Again, this repetition emphasizes persistence, but this time for Adonis's reaction, creating a stark contrast with Venus's "still entreats." It highlights his unwavering resistance.
"sullen": Means gloomy, bad-tempered, or resentfully silent. This describes Adonis's uncommunicative and morose disposition in response to Venus's advances.
"lours": (Also spelled 'lowers') To scowl or frown with displeasure; to look dark and menacing. This indicates his visible anger or annoyance.
"frets": To show irritation or agitation; to worry. This suggests his internal discomfort and annoyance at Venus's relentless pursuit.
Meaning: He remains stubbornly moody, scowling and showing his irritation.

Line 4: ‘Twixt crimson shame and anger ashy-pale;

"‘Twixt": A contraction of "betwixt," meaning "between."
"crimson shame": "Crimson" is a deep, vivid red color. This describes the blush on Adonis's face, indicating deep embarrassment, modesty, or humiliation at Venus's overt advances. Shakespeare uses this strong color to emphasize the intensity of his internal discomfort.
"anger ashy-pale": "Ashy-pale" means pale, like ashes, a grayish white. This describes his face turning pale due to intense anger, frustration, or fear. The contrast between crimson and ashy-pale vividly portrays Adonis's rapid shifts in emotion and internal conflict, highlighting his youth and inexperience.
Meaning: His face shifts between a deep red of embarrassment or shame and a pale, ashen color of anger.

Line 5: Being red she loves him best; and being white,

"Being red": Refers to Adonis's face when it is flushed with "crimson shame" or intense emotion.
"she loves him best": Venus finds him most attractive and desirable when he displays these passionate, visible signs of emotion, even if they are negative. It suggests her attraction is fueled by his vibrant, living reactions, not just his passive beauty.
"being white": Refers to Adonis's face when it is "ashy-pale" from anger or distress.
Meaning: When his face is red with emotion, she loves him most; and when it is pale,

Line 6: Her best is better’d with a more delight.

"Her best": This refers to the peak of her love or delight for him when he is "red."
"is better’d": Means improved upon or enhanced.
"with a more delight": This phrase suggests that even when Adonis is pale with anger (or perhaps specifically because of the contrast between his red and white complexions), Venus's already intense pleasure and desire for him are not diminished but paradoxically increased. It implies that every change in his emotional state, every manifestation of his vitality, serves to deepen her obsession. The word "delight" here implies a sensual pleasure.
Meaning: Her already intense love for him is further heightened by an even greater pleasure.

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Repetition	"Still she entreats... Still is he sullen..."	Emphasizes the unwavering persistence of both Venus's advances and Adonis's resistance, highlighting the stalemate in their interaction.
Alliteration	"tunes her tale", "pretty ear", "crimson shame", "better'd with a more delight"	Adds a musical quality and poetic rhythm to the lines, making them more memorable and pleasant to read. It also draws attention to the linked words.
Antithesis	"crimson shame and anger ashy-pale"	Juxtaposes opposing colors and emotions to vividly portray Adonis's internal conflict and the rapid shifts in his facial expressions, emphasizing his discomfort.
Imagery	"pretty ear", "crimson shame", "anger ashy-pale"	Creates strong visual pictures in the reader's mind, allowing for a clearer understanding of the characters' appearances and emotional states.
Paradox	"Her best is better’d with a more delight."	Highlights the irrational and obsessive nature of Venus's love. It suggests that even Adonis's negative reactions and resistance only serve to intensify her desire, creating a contradictory effect where displeasure fuels pleasure.
Metaphor	"tunes her tale"	Compares Venus's careful crafting of her speech to a musician tuning an instrument, emphasizing her deliberate and artful approach to persuasion.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is pivotal in establishing the central conflict and character dynamics of Venus and Adonis. It vividly contrasts Venus's relentless, charming, and overtly sexual pursuit with Adonis's stubborn, sullen, and visibly uncomfortable rejection. The repetition of "Still" underscores the static, unyielding nature of their opposing desires.

The significance lies in:

Venus's Obsession and Desire: The stanza deeply explores Venus's all-consuming passion. Her ability to find "delight" even in Adonis's shame and anger ("Being red she loves him best; and being white, / Her best is better’d with a more delight") illustrates the depth of her erotic obsession. She is so consumed by his beauty that even his expressions of discomfort or resistance are absorbed into her pleasure, showing a love that transcends, or perhaps perverts, typical emotional reciprocity. This is a key theme of unrequited or overwhelming love.
Adonis's Innocence and Resistance: Adonis's reactions—his "sullen," "lours," "frets," and the shifting "crimson shame and anger ashy-pale"—highlight his youth, inexperience, and discomfort with Venus's aggressive advances. He embodies the ideal of chaste beauty, resisting the mature, sensual world Venus represents. His internal conflict is externally displayed on his face, emphasizing his vulnerability.
The Nature of Beauty and Desire: The stanza suggests that for Venus, beauty is not just a passive quality but something that evokes intense, almost paradoxical, reactions. His changing complexion, indicative of his living, resisting spirit, excites her more than a static perfection. This delves into the poem's broader exploration of the power of beauty and the unpredictable nature of desire, where desire can be inflamed even by rejection.
Power Dynamics: Despite Adonis's visible distress, Venus, in her own mind, is "winning" because his every reaction, whether positive or negative, only fuels her "delight." This subtle power dynamic underscores Venus's relentless will and Adonis's relative helplessness against her overwhelming force of attraction.

In essence, this stanza encapsulates the poem's core tension: the clash between raw, experienced desire (Venus) and youthful, resisting innocence (Adonis), revealing how deeply entrenched Venus's passion is, to the point where even Adonis's suffering enhances her pleasure.