Virginity (Metaphor)
In the first act of the play, Helena and Parolles have a heated exchange regarding women's virginity. Helena tells Parolles that men are "enemies" of virginity, saying, "But he assails, and our virginity, though / valiant, in the defense yet is weak. Unfold to us / some warlike resistance" (1.1). Here, Helena uses a metaphor to compare women's virginity to a poor barricade that cannot keep out an assailant. She suggests that men are threats to virginity not only because of their sexual advances, but also because they make women fall in love with them.
Diana's Ring (Metaphor)
When Bertram tells Diana that he does not want to give up his ring because it is a family heirloom, she replies, "Mine honor's such a ring. / My chastity's the jewel of our house, / Bequeathèd down from many ancestors, / Which were the greatest obloquy i' th' world / In me to lose" (4.2). Here, Diana uses a metaphor to compare her chastity to a family heirloom like Bertram's ring, suggesting that maintaining her virginity is an important way for her to honor the women who came before her.
Captivity (Metaphor)
The King, after being healed by Helena, warns a company of French noblemen going off to war that Italian women are dangerously seductive. He tells them, "Beware of being captives / Before you serve" (2.1). Here, the King uses a metaphor to compare the soldiers to prisoners of war who are "captive" under the power of Italian women. The King's warnings emphasize the notion that love and sex are a battle fought between the sexes.
Roses (Metaphors)
As she attempts to stave off Bertram's advances, Diana uses a series of metaphors to describe women's virginity and its importance. She tells Bertram, "But when you have our roses, / You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves / And mock us with our bareness" (4.2). Here, Diana uses a common metaphor – comparing a woman's virginity to a flower – to suggest that men have sex with women without regard for what happens to them afterward.
Diana's Reward (Metaphor)
At the end of the play, Diana receives the same reward that Helena had received earlier on: the power to choose her own husband. However, the King has a caveat. He tells Diana, "If thou be'st yet a fresh uncroppéd flower, / Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower" (5.3). Here, the King uses the same metaphor that Diana had used in the previous act to compare a woman's virginity to a flower not yet plucked. It is only through her virginal status, then, the King would be willing to provide Diana a dowry for her future husband.
