The Shakespeare Book

been boasting of the beauty and
chastity of their wives. This has
filled him with desire for Lucrece.
When he reaches Collatium,
Lucrece welcomes him. He finds
her even more beautiful than he had
expected, praises her husband’s
valor, and goes to bed aching with
desire for her. In a long soliloquy,
Tarquin meditates about his
intention to seduce Lucrece, aware
of the horror and danger of what he
intends to do, but unable to resist his
evil impulses: “Here pale with fear
he doth premeditate / The dangers of
his loathsome enterprise, / And in
his inward mind he doth debate /
What following sorrow may on this
arise” (ll.183–186).
A passage of vivid narrative
describes how he makes his fearful
way to the chamber where Lucrece
lies sleeping: “Her breasts like ivory
globes circled with blue, / A pair of
maiden worlds unconquerèd, / Save
of their lord no bearing yoke they
knew, / And him by oath they truly
honourèd” (ll.407–410).

When Lucrece awakes, Tarquin

says he will kill her and her

attendant slave unless she yields

to him. She pleads with him in

vain, and he rapes her: “with

the nightly linen that she wears /

He pens her piteous clamours in

her head, / Cooling his hot face in

the chastest tears / That ever

modest eyes with sorrow shed”

(ll.680–683).

THE FREELANCE WRITER 79

A one-woman musical and dramatic

performance based on the poem was

given by Camille O’Sullivan in 2011.

It toured Britain and Ireland under

the auspices of the RSC.

She bears the load of lust

he left behind,

And he the burden

of a guilty mind.

The Rape of Lucrece

ll.734–735

Having done the deed, Tarquin

creeps away in shame. From

this point onward, the poem

concentrates on Lucrece. She

addresses night, time, and

opportunity in a series of laments,

and curses Tarquin before deciding

to kill herself for shame and to tell

her husband what has happened.

She calls her maid but does not

confide in her. Lucrece writes to

Collatine summoning him home

and then meditates on a painting

of the siege and fall of Troy, which

is described at length. When

Collatine arrives with her father

and other lords, she tells them

what has happened without at first

naming Tarquin until all the men

have vowed to avenge her. Then

she suddenly stabs herself. “Even

here she sheathèd in her harmless ❯❯