Close Readings Narrative Poems: 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece' by William Shakespeare
Feb 16, 2026
A deep dive into how Shakespeare rewrites Ovid with surprising twists. They explore the comic mismatch of a lustful goddess and an unwilling youth. The conversation traces Shakespeare’s early virtuosity, his courtly style, and unsettling shifts into grief and premeditated evil. Close readings compare poetic technique, narrative choices, and how tone moves from playfulness to chilling darkness.
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Plague Produced A Bestseller
- Shakespeare wrote Venus and Adonis during the 1592–94 theatre closures and sold it successfully to patrons and readers.
- The poem became one of his most popular lifetime works and brought both patronage and sales income.
Shakespeare Rewrites The Ovidian Tale
- Shakespeare borrows from Ovid but decisively reshapes the Venus and Adonis myth into a comic mismatch.
- He turns Adonis into a reluctant, almost prepubescent figure, creating a new dynamic of frustrated desire.
A Young Poet Showing Off
- The poem showcases youthful virtuosity and courtly ambition in its elaborate diction and epigraph.
- Shakespeare signals a move from playhouse writing toward a refined, courtly literary audience.
