Poetry · Character

Lucrece

A Roman wife whose beauty and virtue are praised so recklessly by her husband that a prince rides to Collatium to test the treasure for himself.

major

Also known as Poor Lucrece, sweet Lucrece, Lucretia, Harmless Lucretia

First appearance: the rape of lucrece

As a major figure in Poetry, Lucrece is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The victim of Tarquin's assault, she laments her shame and the night.

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With Lucretius (family): Lucrece is the devoted wife of Lucretius, and her rape and suicide bring him profound grief and a drive for vengeance. With Collatine (family): Collatine is Lucrece's husband, whose boast about…

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See Lucrece in the rape of lucrece

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Lucrece sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Mythological and Personified Figures
Roman Political Figures
Trojan War Figures

+15 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because the speaker reaches an emotional and psychological peak of self-aware torm…

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Relationships

Lucretius
family · positive
Lucrece is the devoted wife of Lucretius, and her rape and suicide bring him profound… How this plays out →
Collatine
family · positive
Tarquin
psychological · negative
Collatinus
family · positive
Priam
psychological · ambivalent
Pyrrhus
psychological · negative
Adonis
social · ambivalent
Philomela
psychological · negative
Tarquin
psychological · negative
Priam
psychological · ambivalent
Pyrrhus
psychological · negative
Lucretius
family · positive
Lucrece is the devoted wife of Lucretius, and her rape and suicide bring him profound… How this plays out →

Lucretius
Lucrece is the devoted wife of Lucretius, and her rape and suicide bring him profound grief and a drive for vengeance.
Collatine
Collatine is Lucrece's husband, whose boast about her virtue inadvertently leads to her tragedy.
Tarquin
Tarquin obsessively desires Lucrece and rapes her, making her his victim and driving her to suicide.
Collatinus
Collatinus is Lucrece's father, who shares in the family's devastation after her rape and death.
Priam
Lucrece identifies with Priam's grief after viewing a tapestry of Troy, seeing her own sorrow mirrored in his loss.
Pyrrhus
Lucrece compares Tarquin's violence to Pyrrhus's brutal killing of Priam, seeing both as monstrous acts.
Adonis
Adonis and Lucrece are characters from separate poems by Shakespeare, linked only by thematic parallels of tragic beauty.
Philomela
Lucrece compares herself to Philomela, another rape victim, finding a tragic sisterhood in shared suffering.
Tarquin
Tarquin obsessively desires Lucrece and rapes her, making her his victim and driving her to suicide.
Priam
Lucrece identifies with Priam's grief after viewing a tapestry of Troy, seeing her own sorrow mirrored in his loss.
Pyrrhus
Lucrece compares Tarquin's violence to Pyrrhus's brutal killing of Priam, seeing both as monstrous acts.
Lucretius
Lucrece is the devoted wife of Lucretius, and her rape and suicide bring him profound grief and a drive for vengeance.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Lucrece in the rape of lucrece

In the story

Lucrece appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Argument

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Lucrece unlock in the free preview.

See Lucrece in the rape of lucrece

See Lucrece in The Argument