The Rape of Lucrece is a narrative poem by Shakespeare which focuses the tragic death of Lucrece. Lucrece occurs in Livy's "The History of Rome" and Ovid's "Fasti" (calendar) and been written by him from the point of view of Lucrece and Tarquin. In 1594 John Harrison of London published the poem in Quarto form a year following after the publication of "Venus and Adonis." The poem was listed in the Hall Book under the title of The Ravyshement (Ravishment) of Lucrece but was published with the title Lucrece.
The scenario of the poem is a time just before the establishment of the Roman republic in 509 BC. Ardea and Collatium (of Rome) too are used. Dedicating the work to Henry Wriothesley, the Third Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare writes: "The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end."
Shakespeare's dedication is followed by "The Argument" which describes the present scenario including a father in grief and a husband in despair. Brutus, a strong headed man, makes them vow to avenge the death of Lucrece.
The story begins with Tarquinius the Proud, in the middle of the 6th Century. He murders his father-in-law to become the king of Rome. After that he covers for the region of Ardea and thus laid his troops to capture it. In the camp, in the presence of his son Tarquin, soldiers boast off their wives. A soldier describes his wife in glowing terms—she is beautiful, virtuous and chaste.
Tarquin envies him and lust aroused in his mind and heart. He sets off to Collatium to see Lucrece. He is received by Lucrece with hospitality. Collatine's praise was not enough for this astounding beauty. She misunderstood him a gentleman and an honest person. In the night charmed by her beauty he rapes her making himself deaf to the pleadings of Lucrece. He leaves in guilt and she summons her father, Lucrite and husband. They are back with soldiers and shocked to hear her revelations. She plunges a knife in her breast after revealing Tarquinus name.
Shocked by the death, they are helped by Brutus who makes them swear to avenge her death. Thus, the narrator takes story to "The Argument" chapter. We are told that Tarquin is banished by the public.
The poem is written in rhyme royal stanzas in iambic pentameter is of 265 stanzas. Different figures of speech are used to make the poem more lively like simile, metaphor, personification, oxymoron, anaphora and others. Ekphrasis is also used when grief- stricken Lucrece sees the painting of Trojan War on the wall and compares herself to Helen and Tarquin to Sinon, responsible for the destruction of Troy. Shame, guilt and psyche become the central points of the poem, including the display of patriarchy society.
