The Eve of St. Agnes Lies and Deceit Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #1

Hoodwink'd in faery fancy; all amort,
Save to St. Agnes and her lambs unshorn (70-71)

Madeline is still in the ballroom at this point, but she isn't exactly tearing up the dance floor. Instead, she's totally preoccupied with her anticipation of what's going to go down later. She's described, in the middle of all the drama of the party, as "amort," which is a funny word. It literally means dead, which makes sense because Madeline's not noticing all the activity around her, but it's also a really strong way to express what could have been written as "preoccupied." Also, think about the fact that "amort" is also one T more than "amor." And what has her "all amort"? It's because she's been "hoodwink'd" by "fancy"—that is, that her own imagination is putting the whammy on her.

Quote #2

"A cruel man and impious thou art
[…] Go, go!—I deem
Thou canst not surely be the same that thou didst seem." (140, 143-144)

Porphyro's just told Angela his plan to get to Madeline, and Angela is totally not on board. She's been thinking all along that Porphyro's a good, decent guy, and so she's been helpful to him, but the minute she hears his "stratagem" it's like he's transformed in front of her. It definitely gets you thinking about the divide between what Porphyro seems to be and what he really is.

Quote #3

[…] to lead him, in close secrecy,
Even to Madeline's chamber, and there hid
Him in a closet, of such privacy
That he might see her beauty unespied (163-166)

R Kelly: not the only guy trapped in a closet. As part of his "stratagem," Porphyro has Angela hide him a closet in Madeline's bedroom so that he can look at her while he himself is not being looked at. The funny thing is, all the while he's staring at her sleeping body, Madeline herself is locked up tight inside her dream and envisioning him, so in a way she's actually the one who's "seeing" him while she herself is "unespied."