The Rape of Lucrece

An important symbol in many Shakespearean works (and the works of many other poets) is the moon. The moon represents chastity, specifically chaste women, and, even more specifically to Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I. Collantine initially used celestial imagery when describing Lucrece at the men’s encampment, and Tarquin continues this motif. When Tarquin approaches Lucrece’s curtained bed, his heart “gives the watchword to his hand full soon / To draw the cloud that hides the silver moon” (370-371). Here, “Lucrece the chaste” (Line 7) is compared to the moon and her bed-curtain compared to the clouds.

After Tarquin assaults her and leaves, Lucrece takes up the motif of the moon. She has a long soliloquy about night, which includes: “The silver-shining queen he would distain; / Her twinkling handmaids too, by him defiled” (Lines 786-787). Here, the moon is directly described as a queen; this references Queen Elizabeth being the virgin (unmarried) queen at the time this poem was published (1594). The anachronistic implication here is that Lucrece can be compared to Elizabeth. Lucrece continues her discussion of the moon by speaking to how Tarquin’s position as prince makes his mistakes more visible: “The moon being clouded presently is missed, / But little stars may hide them when they list” (Lines 1007-1008).