🌹 Stanza 171 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘Fie, fie, fond love! thou art so full of fear
As one with treasure laden, hemm’d with thieves
Trifles, unwitnessed with eye or ear,
Thy coward heart with false bethinking grieves.’   
Even at this word she hears a merry horn
Whereat she leaps that was but late forlorn.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: ‘Fie, fie, fond love! thou art so full of fear

"Fie, fie": An exclamation of strong disapproval, disgust, or shame, similar to "for shame" or "shame on you." Shakespeare uses this to convey Venus’s intense frustration and impatience with Adonis's resistance and timidity.
"fond love": "Fond" here carries multiple meanings: foolish, doting, excessively affectionate, or even naive. Venus is addressing Adonis, her beloved object of affection, but simultaneously chastising him for what she perceives as his foolish or misguided adherence to chastity and his fear of her advances. The choice of "fond" highlights the irony of her deep affection clashing with his perceived folly.
"thou art so full of fear": Refers to Adonis's timidity, his reluctance to engage in love, or his fear of losing his innocence/chastity. Venus accuses him of being consumed by a baseless fear that prevents him from succumbing to her desires.
Meaning: "For shame, for shame, my foolish love! You are so consumed by fear."

Line 2: As one with treasure laden, hemm’d with thieves

"As one with treasure laden": A simile comparing Adonis's current state to that of a person burdened with valuable possessions. The "treasure" metaphorically represents his virginity, his innocence, his beauty, or his "coward heart" (as mentioned in the next line), which Venus desires to conquer. Shakespeare uses this image to frame Adonis as a vulnerable, desired object.
"hemm’d with thieves": "Hemm'd" means surrounded, encircled, or trapped. The "thieves" are a metaphor for Venus's overwhelming desire, her relentless pursuit, and the temptations of lust that she embodies. She portrays herself as an irresistible force, a "thief" seeking to take his "treasure," emphasizing the predicament Adonis finds himself in.
Meaning: "You are like someone weighed down by treasure, completely surrounded by thieves."

Line 3: Trifles, unwitnessed with eye or ear,

"Trifles": Refers to the insignificant worries, baseless fears, or trivial reasons that Adonis holds for resisting Venus. From Venus's perspective, his concerns (e.g., his chastity, his dedication to hunting) are of no real importance or value compared to the passion she offers. Shakespeare's use of "trifles" dismisses Adonis's entire resistance as inconsequential.
"unwitnessed with eye or ear": These "trifles" or fears are entirely internal and imaginary, lacking any external basis or verifiable threat. There is no tangible danger or observable evidence to justify his reluctance. This phrase underscores Venus's belief that Adonis's apprehension is irrational and self-generated.
Meaning: "Your fears are mere trifles, without any real cause witnessed by sight or sound."

Line 4: Thy coward heart with false bethinking grieves.’

"Thy coward heart": Venus directly insults Adonis's courage, calling his heart "coward" because it shrinks from her advances, from the natural impulses of love, and from the experience she offers. This is an attempt to provoke him through shaming. Shakespeare employs this harsh epithet to highlight Venus's frustration with his lack of responsiveness.
"with false bethinking grieves": "False bethinking" means mistaken thoughts, wrong ideas, or baseless imaginings. These erroneous thoughts are causing his heart to "grieve"—to suffer, be troubled, or feel pain. Venus implies that Adonis is the author of his own misery, tormenting himself with misguided fears rather than embracing life and love.
Meaning: "Your timid heart suffers because of its mistaken thoughts and baseless worries."

Line 5: Even at this word she hears a merry horn

"Even at this word": Signifies an immediate, abrupt transition in the narrative. The external world suddenly intrudes upon the intimate, stalled interaction between Venus and Adonis, providing a dramatic shift in mood and plot.
"she hears a merry horn": A "merry horn" is a hunting horn, typically associated with the sounds of the chase and the hunt. The adjective "merry" suggests a cheerful, lively, and perhaps triumphant sound, contrasting sharply with Venus's previous frustrated lament. This sound is a direct cue that the hunting party, and specifically Adonis's preferred activity, is returning.
Meaning: "Just as she finished speaking these words, she heard the cheerful sound of a hunting horn."

Line 6: Whereat she leaps that was but late forlorn.

"Whereat she leaps": "Whereat" means "at which point" or "upon hearing which." Venus's immediate reaction is to jump up with a sudden burst of energy and excitement. This physical action shows a dramatic shift from her previous emotional state.
"that was but late forlorn": "Forlorn" means desolate, sad, dejected, hopeless, or abandoned. This phrase directly contrasts her previous state of despair and frustration over Adonis's rejection and her inability to win him over. The sound of the horn instantly lifts her spirits, breaking her despondency and suggesting a renewed sense of purpose or hope.
Meaning: "At that sound, she leaped up, though she had been desolate just moments before."

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Apostrophe	"Fie, fie, fond love!" "Thy coward heart"	Venus directly addresses Adonis and his "heart," adding to the dramatic intensity of her plea/scolding and emphasizing her direct confrontation with his resistance.
Simile	"As one with treasure laden, hemm’d with thieves"	Compares Adonis (his virginity/innocence) to valuable treasure and Venus (her desire/temptation) to thieves, vividly illustrating Adonis's perceived vulnerability and Venus's relentless pursuit. It underscores the predatory nature of her advances from Adonis's perspective.
Metaphor	"treasure," "thieves," "coward heart"	"Treasure" for Adonis's virginity/beauty, "thieves" for Venus's desires, and "coward heart" for Adonis's timidity. These metaphors deepen the characterization and the central conflict, highlighting the value Venus places on what she wants from him and her disdain for his resistance.
Personification	"coward heart... grieves"	Attributes human qualities (cowardice, the ability to grieve) to Adonis's heart, emphasizing the internal conflict and emotional distress he experiences due to his own thoughts, as seen by Venus.
Repetition	"Fie, fie"	Emphasizes Venus's frustration, disgust, and a sense of shaming towards Adonis's resistance, giving her outburst more vehemence and urgency.
Alliteration	"false bethinking grieves," "merry horn," "late forlorn"	Creates a sense of musicality and rhythm, drawing attention to these phrases and making them more memorable. It can subtly connect ideas or enhance the emotional tone (e.g., the lingering "l" in "late forlorn" emphasizes the drawn-out sorrow).
Juxtaposition/Contrast	"that was but late forlorn" vs. "she leaps" and the overall shift from Venus's frustration to the sound of the horn	Highlights the sudden and dramatic shift in Venus's emotional state, from despair to excitement. It also sharply contrasts the stalled, intimate "love chase" with the sudden re-introduction of the literal hunt, foreshadowing the poem's tragic turn and Adonis's ultimate fate.
Foreshadowing	"a merry horn"	The sound of the hunting horn immediately signals the return of the hunt, which is Adonis's passion and ultimately leads to his death. This sound interrupts the romantic pursuit, subtly predicting that the hunt will take precedence and lead to tragedy.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

Stanza 171 marks a pivotal turning point in Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis. Before this point, the poem has focused almost exclusively on Venus's relentless, increasingly desperate attempts to woo the resistant Adonis. This stanza encapsulates her peak frustration and indignation, as she resorts to sharp verbal attacks, branding him "fond love," and accusing his "coward heart" of suffering from "false bethinking" and "trifles." This highlights the significant power imbalance she feels, despite being a goddess, as Adonis continues to reject her sexual advances. Her frustration underscores the theme of unrequited love and the destructive nature of obsessive desire.

The sudden sound of the "merry horn" in line 5 serves as an abrupt and critical interruption to this impasse. This sound not only breaks the tension of Venus's heated monologue but also dramatically shifts the poem's direction. It is a clear signal of the return of the hunt, Adonis's true passion, which directly contrasts with Venus's passion for love. Her immediate leap from a state of being "forlorn" to one of animation perfectly illustrates her fluctuating emotional states and her reliance on external circumstances to lift her despair.

Ultimately, this stanza is significant because it shifts the narrative focus from the "love chase" to the literal hunt. The "merry horn" foreshadows the tragic climax of the poem, where Adonis meets his demise by a wild boar during a hunt. The abrupt transition underscores the central conflict between love and death, desire and destruction, and the divergent paths of Venus and Adonis. It emphasizes that while Venus is consumed by amorous pursuit, Adonis's dedication to the hunt will ultimately lead to his fatal end, intertwining the themes of passionate desire with inevitable tragedy.