🌹 Stanza 78 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

And at his look she flatly falleth down
For looks kill love, and love by looks reviveth;    
A smile recures the wounding of a frown;
But blessed bankrupt, that by love so thriveth!
The silly boy, believing she is dead
Claps her pale cheek, till clapping makes it red;

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "And at his look she flatly falleth down"

• "at his look": This refers to Adonis's expression, likely one of disinterest, coldness, or even mild annoyance. It highlights the profound impact his gaze has on Venus, even when it's not one of affection. Shakespeare emphasizes the immediate and overwhelming power of non-verbal communication.
• "she flatly falleth down": Venus collapses completely and suddenly, not gracefully. "Flatly" suggests a definitive, perhaps even dramatic, loss of control or consciousness, emphasizing the intensity of her emotional reaction and her complete physical surrender. It underscores the severity of her feigned swoon.
• Meaning: And in response to his look of disdain, she immediately collapses to the ground.

Line 2: "For looks kill love, and love by looks reviveth;"

• "For looks kill love": This serves as a universal truth or proverb in the context of the poem. It means that an unkind, dismissive, or uninterested glance can destroy the hopes and desires associated with love. It justifies Venus's dramatic reaction, as Adonis's look has 'killed' her immediate hopes.
• "and love by looks reviveth": This presents the antithesis, suggesting that just as easily as a look can destroy love, a different, kinder, or more passionate look can bring it back to life. This line sets up Venus's strategy: her feigned collapse aims to elicit a look of pity or concern from Adonis, which she hopes will revive his interest or her own fading hope.
• Meaning: Because glances have the power to destroy romantic feelings, but also to bring them back to life.

Line 3: "A smile recures the wounding of a frown;"

• "A smile recures": "Recures" means to cure or heal. This extends the idea from the previous line, asserting that a positive facial expression (a smile) has the power to mend the emotional damage caused by a negative one. Shakespeare uses "recures" to emphasize the restorative, almost medicinal, power of a smile.
• "the wounding of a frown": A frown is personified as something that inflicts a wound, causing emotional pain or injury. This metaphor vividly portrays the negative impact of an unwelcoming expression, making it a source of tangible hurt.
• Meaning: A kind smile can heal the emotional pain caused by a disapproving frown.

Line 4: "But blessed bankrupt, that by love so thriveth!"

• "blessed bankrupt": This is an oxymoron. A 'bankrupt' is someone who has lost everything, often financially. Here, it refers to Venus who appears to have lost everything in love (Adonis's affection). However, she is "blessed" in this state, because her vulnerability might win pity or attention, ultimately leading to gain. Shakespeare uses this paradox to highlight the strange economics of love, where giving everything or appearing to lose can ironically lead to fulfillment.
• "that by love so thriveth!": This refers to the 'bankrupt' person who, despite apparent loss, manages to prosper or succeed through the very act or pursuit of love. In Venus's case, her dramatic swoon, though a 'loss' of composure, is a strategic move to 'thrive' by gaining Adonis's attention and sympathy, hoping it will lead to his love.
• Meaning: But how fortunate is the one who, though appearing to have lost everything in love, paradoxically prospers greatly through it!

Line 5: "The silly boy, believing she is dead"

• "The silly boy": "Silly" here conveys innocence, naivety, or a lack of worldly experience, particularly in matters of love and women's dramatic ploys. It emphasizes Adonis's youth and his inability to discern Venus's trickery. Shakespeare uses this to highlight the stark contrast between Venus's cunning and Adonis's simplicity.
• "believing she is dead": Adonis literally interprets Venus's swoon as death, demonstrating his extreme innocence and lack of exposure to such romantic theatrics. This literal belief sets up his subsequent action.
• Meaning: The naive boy, genuinely thinking she has died,

Line 6: "Claps her pale cheek, till clapping makes it red;"

• "Claps her pale cheek": Adonis attempts to revive Venus by gently slapping or tapping her face, a common method for reviving someone who has fainted. Her cheek is 'pale' due to the feigned unconsciousness, emphasizing her pallor and vulnerability.
• "till clapping makes it red": The physical action of clapping stimulates blood flow to her face, causing her cheek to regain color. This ironic outcome (his attempt to revive her confirms her 'revival') also plays into Venus's hands by bringing him into physical contact with her.
• Meaning: Gently taps her pale cheek until the stimulation restores its color and makes it red.

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

Stanza 78 is a pivotal moment that vividly illustrates the contrasting characters of Venus and Adonis and the manipulative dynamics of their pursuit. Venus, in her desperate and seasoned pursuit of love, employs a dramatic, theatrical swoon to force a reaction from Adonis. The lines explaining how "looks kill love, and love by looks reviveth" and how "A smile recures the wounding of a frown" serve as both a universal observation about the power of non-verbal communication in love and Venus's strategic rationale. She believes that by feigning death, she can elicit a look of concern or pity from Adonis, which she hopes will be the 'look' that "reviveth" love, or at least breaks through his persistent indifference. Her paradoxical state as a "blessed bankrupt" underscores the idea that even in apparent emotional defeat, a calculated vulnerability can yield significant romantic gains.

Adonis, by contrast, is portrayed as "silly" and utterly naive, taking Venus's dramatic act literally. His reaction is one of genuine, albeit innocent, concern rather than romantic interest. His attempt to revive her by "clapping her pale cheek till clapping makes it red" is a practical, almost childlike response. This physical interaction, though born of compassion rather than desire on Adonis's part, ironically plays directly into Venus's hands, as it establishes a much-desired physical proximity and engagement.

This stanza is significant because it encapsulates key themes of Venus and Adonis: * The Power of Desire vs. Innocence: Venus's aggressive, manipulative desire clashes sharply with Adonis's youthful inexperience and innocence, which renders him susceptible to her ploys. * Love as a Game: For Venus, love is not just an emotion but a strategic game, where dramatic gestures and calculated vulnerabilities are tools to achieve her desires. * Appearance vs. Reality: The stanza plays on the deception inherent in Venus's act and Adonis's inability to see through it, highlighting the gap between their perceptions. * The Nature of Love and Beauty: It explores the compelling yet sometimes destructive power of beauty and desire, as Venus uses her allure and feigned fragility to control the situation.

Ultimately, this moment marks a critical shift: Adonis, who has previously avoided Venus, is now drawn into a physical interaction, setting the stage for Venus's continued attempts to win his affection through a combination of eloquence, persuasion, and emotional manipulation.