The Rape of Lucrece

"Venus and Adonis" by William Shakespeare (1593)

This long poem by Shakespeare is a companion piece to “The Rape of Lucrece”; both are dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, and were published within a year of one another. Rather than the tragic events of Lucrece’s myth, “Venus and Adonis” is an erotic poem that turns the titular female character into the anachronistic knight in pursuit of love. Like “The Rape of Lucrece,” “Venus and Adonis” is a retelling of a Roman myth recorded by Ovid.

The Iliad by Homer (c. 762 B.C.)

The matter of Troy depicted in Lucrece’s painting is from The Iliad by Homer. This long Greek epic is often referenced in poetry, and its use of ekphrasis is emulated by Shakespeare in “The Rape of Lucrece.” The characters and actions discussed in Stanzas 196-226 (Lines 1366-1582) can be further understood by reading Homer’s poem.

"The Legend of Good Women: The Legend of Lucretia" by Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1386)

Two-hundred years before Shakespeare wrote his poem about Lucrece, Chaucer dedicated Section V of “The Legend of Good Women” to her story. Chaucer uses iambic pentameter, like Shakespeare. They both offer a sympathetic characterization of Lucrece/Lucretia.