Rape

Rape symbolizes the absence of agency with reference to greater cosmic forces like history or destiny. In the moment of her rape, Leda is involved in bringing about world-historical events. She will eventually sire Helen, whose beauty mobilizes the Trojan War, a cataclysmic turning point in the history of the West. Yeats believed such cataclysms were prescribed points in history, and he uses the rape to symbolize the power of history relative to the will of individuals. Leda’s rape thus represents the lack of agency people have even in moments when they are most involved in history.

Zeus

Zeus symbolizes history and destiny. Yeats borrows the story of Leda and the Swan from the ancient Greeks, who used to gods to represent cosmic power beyond humankind’s control. In that story, the leader of those god compels a human to satisfy his sexual desires while...