Battering ram, ivory wall – phallic symbols and aggression in Shakespeare’s The rape of lucrece

Abstract

This study examines how symbolism is used to suggest sexual aggression in Shakespeare’s <i>The Rape of Lucrece</i>. Symbols such as a Roman blade, a battering ram and other seemingly innocent objects in the poem are examined for implicit evidence of sexual conquest. The study argues that Shakespeare employs such symbols to make the phallic aggression perpetrated against Lucrece repulsive to readers and to highlight the power dynamics at work in the poem. The essay concludes that Shakespeare expresses disapproval of the  violence committed against Lucrece without betraying the mores of English society.

Keywords: aggression, conquest, phallic, symbolism, violence