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Lucrece (Shakespeare Project Lecture V) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-02-23 20:41:30
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

"In scorn of nature, art gave lifeless life."

Our journey through the works of William Shakespeare continues with the narrative poem 'Lucrece'.

Topics of discussion include: art as mirror, narrative poem as drama, stories within stories, psychologically complex characters, and much more.

Timestamps:

  • 0:00 writing in times of plague
  • 1:36 Shakespeare’s Lucrece
  • 2:14 the inspiration for this poem
  • 4:20 extraordinary ekphrasis
  • 6:00 ‘art gave lifeless life’
  • 7:00 art as mirror up to nature
  • 8:30 stories within stories
  • 9:30 therapeutic value of art
  • 11:00 the inadequacy of words
  • 14:00 Lucrece & the painting
  • 15:50 Shakespeare’s shadows
  • 18:00 ‘helpless smoke of words’
  • 20:00 narrative poem as drama
  • 21:00 Shakespeare’s heterocosm
  • 22:40 the composition of Lucrece
  • 23:30 Shakespeare’s patron
  • 26:20 the poetic form of Lucrece
  • 28:00 psychological complexity
  • 29:30 Tarquin & darkest night
  • 30:20 Richardson’s Clarissa
  • 31:50 bard as poet-playwright
  • 32:30 Lucrece vs Titus Andronicus
  • 33:40 maiden worlds unconquered
  • 35:10 repetition in Lucrece
  • 36:37 Shakespeare’s gusto
  • 39:00 ‘in his inward mind’
  • 41:30 trauma & interiority
  • 45:00 Lucrece curses Tarquin
  • 48:00 ‘my life’s fair end’
  • 49:00 Shakespeare on ‘honour’
  • 52:00 your thoughts on this poem?

Recommended Resources:

  • Recommended Narration: Richard Burton, who we have already met in the role of Petruchio from The Taming of the Shrew, gives a strong narration of 'Lucrece' here. For another option of narration, I also highly recommend David Ian Davies' magnificent reading here. 
  • Arden Edition: For the poem itself, I recommend the Arden paperback edition, with introduction by Katherine Duncan-Jones, which also contains 'Venus and Adonis'.
  • The Reflective Power of Art: If you found our discussion on Keats interesting, we have a lecture on his poetry here. And I have a video on identifying with fictional characters here.
  • The Earl of Southampton: For more information on Shakespeare's patron, you might enjoy our discussion here prompted by our reading of his tenth sonnet.
  • Poem Performed: Here is Camille O'Sullivan with the RSC, and original music from Feargal Murray, giving a brilliant performance of 'Lucrece'.

Questions for You:

1) How was your experience of reading Lucrece? Was it different from your experience of the plays?

2) Would this poem work as a play?

3) What line, passage, or idea most resonated with you? And what is your personal grading for this one? 

Happy reading, Bardolators!

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Comments

Sarah Clark

...wow. I had no clue about Shakespeare's poetry. Yeah, I read a few sonnets in high school, but this is by FAR the most resonant of what we've read so far. Giving it a B, the highest score thus far. I see that some above struggled to identify with Lucrece's self-blame and decision to use suicide to regain her honor, and I get that. But I actually think there is an element of realism here. Sometimes, in the thick of trauma or tragedy, it can actually seem less painful to blame yourself than others, or to see yourself as dishonored or damaged. It is a way to take some sort of agency, find some sort of justice, however misguided. To be clear, I'm not saying I agree with Lucrece's actions, but I can understand how taking control by taking responsibility for the situation at least gives you a path forward. Unlike Lavinia, if Lucretia's tongue and hands had been cut out, I don't think it would have taken her more than an hour to find a tree branch, a patch of dirt, and get to writing. Lavinia went into into flight (or maybe freeze) but Lucrece started fighting for her honor internally, then externally, from the moment Tarquin left her chamber. Some of that fight was misguided, but she also got her justice much more swiftly. The pandemic did Shakespeare a weird sort of favor. Because he needed to pivot from drama to poetry to keep money flowing during lockdown, he was able to ditch most of the need for a plot and essentially write a character study. By focusing on these two characters and their interior actions and rationalizations, his depictions of human nature take a quantum leap. The complexity we've seen glimmers of in earlier plays (especially with his women) is now blossoming. It almost makes me wonder if while being back in Stratford during lockdown, he showed a draft to his wife to get some feedback. ;-) All that kind of serves as a longwinded answer to question 1, so on to the rest. 2. Actually, I think it could work well as a play. Tarquin and Lucrese are essentially having conversations with themselves, which could be depicted in a mirror or as some sort of ghostly double. They could project the artwork Lucrece describes. it could absolutely be done. 3. Favorite Passage is from around line 150, as Tarquin begins to comprehend that his desire will be his undoing but yields to it anyway: So that, in vent’ring ill, we leave to be The things we are for that which we expect; And this ambitious foul infirmity, In having much, torments us with defect Of that we have. So then we do neglect  The thing we have and, all for want of wit,  Make something nothing by augmenting it. Grades: Lucrece: B Taming of the Shrew: C Titus Andronicus: C Two Gentlemen of Verona: C- Comedy of Errors: D

Rachel Brown

Following on the Shakespeare project but far behind - this one was a harder read. I’m not sure if I found the format harder or the topic. Following along to Richard Burton and pausing at the times where he skipped sections - helped me a lot. This was definitely a different Will - much more about the character than the plot - this is a key development in my reading of his works thus far. B- for me.