Rape of Lucrece, why not a play!

Written in a Pamphlet as a dedication to the Earle of Southapton, The Rape of Lucrece is a narrative garland of verses unfolding how the lust of a single man could bring down the power of royalty, steal a chaste wife from a loving husband, a precious innocent daughter from her father.

As the narration picks up momentum, one will not know in what frame of mind Shakespeare wrote this tragedy. Did he pick up the plot from an incident or was it an adaption from some writer’s work one will never know. There is no evidence to indicate either one.

With strong tragical theme why did Shakespeare not write it as a play?

Of all Shakespeare’s works including his plays, sonnets, prose and poems that I have studied, read, researched even at Stratford, I am still lost at its largeness, gravity and concept. The Rape of Lucrece remains a mystery to me.

In composition Licius Tarquinius whose arrogance and excessive pride earned him nickname, Superbus. He slays his own father-in-law, Servius Tullius, cruelly. It is contrary to the Roman laws and customs that require staying for the people’s consent.

He had possessed himself the kingdom and accompanied with his rebellious sons and other noblemen of Rome to besiege Ardea. During this seige, the principal men of the army meet in the nights at the tent of Sextus Tarquinius, the King’s son. During supper, everyone commends the virtues of their own wives and among them, Collatinus extols the incomparable chastity of his wife, Lucrece;

‘From the beseige Ardea all in post,
Borne by the trusties wings of false desire
Lust-breathed Tarquin leaves the Roman host,
And to Collatium bears the lightless fire.
Which in pale embers hid, lurks to aspire
And girdle with embracing flames the waist,
Of Collatine’s fair love, Lucrece the chaste’.....

In that pleasant humour where all are posted to Rome, they intend by their sudden and secret arrival to find their wives dancing and revelling with only Lucrece spinning amongst her maids that warms up her husband’s heart. Where upon the noble Collatinus celebrate his victory and fame to his wife.

Sextus Tarquinus is inflamed with the beauty of Lucrece but smothers his passion for the present. He departs to the camp with the rest. Sextus in restless. He must ravish upon Lucrece.

After a short time, he withdraws from the rest and being of royalty, is entertained and lodged by the innocent Lucrece at the Collatium. The same night, he treacherously steals into her chamber. The footsteps though lightly tread, wakes her. She confronts her attacker;

‘Reward not hospitality
With such black payment as thou hast pretended;
Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee.
Mar not the thing that cannot be amended
End thy ill aim before thy shoot be ended.
He is no woodman that doth bend his bow,
To strike a poor unseasonable doe.
My husband is thy friend, for his sake spare me.
Thyself art mighty.... for thine own sake leave me’.....

To Sextus Tarquinius, there was no reasoning. He was bent on his prey and he got the opportunity. Violently, he ravishes her and early in the morning before light falls, speeds away. In this lamentable plight, Lucrece, dispatches two messengers, one to her father in Rome another to the camp for Collatinus.

They rush, one with Junius Brutus and the other with Publius Valerius to find Lucrece attired in mourning clothes. They demand her cause of sorrow. First, she takes an oath from them for her revenge and reveal what Sextus Tarquinius did to her.

Before her father and husband could recover from shock, she stabs herself to death. They all vow to root out the evil and destroy the whole Tarquins. Bearing her dead body to Rome, Brutus acquaints the people with the culprit and treacherous way Lucrece was raped.

The manner of the vile deed and the bitter invective against the King for the deed done by his son, sets the people to shout for their exile.

With a people’s consensus, the Tarquins are removed from power and banished and the government changed from Kings to consul.

‘They did conclude to bear dead Lucrece thence,
To show her bleeding body through Rome
And so to publish Tarquin’s foul offence
Which being done with speedy diligence.
To Romans plausibly did give consent
To Tarquin’s everlasting banishment’....

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