Poetry · Chapter
LX explained
The brothers steal the basil pot and discover Lorenzo's face inside, then flee Florence forever with their guilt.
What happens
The brothers steal the basil pot and discover Lorenzo's face inside, then flee Florence forever with their guilt.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the King, overwhelmed by his own confession, reveals Bertha’s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Mortality and the Sublime
The discovery of Lorenzo's face in the basil pot confronts the brothers with the horror of death and their crime.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Yet they contrived to steal the Basil-pot, And to examine it in secret place: The thing was vile with green and livid spot, And yet they knew it was Lorenzo’s face:”
The brothers managed to take the basil pot and look at it privately; it was disgusting with green and bruised marks, but they recognized it as Lorenzo's face.
The brothers' discovery of the gruesome truth.
“The guerdon of their murder they had got, And so left Florence in a moment’s space, Never to turn again.—Away they went, With blood upon their heads, to banishment.”
They had received the reward for their murder, and so they quickly left Florence, never to return. They went into exile with blood on their heads.
The brothers flee Florence after obtaining the basil pot.
