Comparison of the Use of a Dramatic Monolgue
Comparison of the use of a dramatic monologue.
In 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'My Last Duchess', Browning uses several features of dramatic monologue in order to engage and sustain the interest of the audience. This style of monologue is spoken by a character, which is not the poet, and is usually projected at a critical moment, as in the case of 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover'. The speakers unintentionally reveal their insanity, in both poems, through their separate accounts. By studying a comparison of the two poems, it becomes clear that Browning has used similar disturbing themes to illustrate what an individual is capable of doing for his own reasons.
Browning's work is known to be an example of dramatic monologue, with this being the way in which he is able to portray the insanity of his characters. By using the technique of dramatic monologue in 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'My Last Duchess', the reader is immediately given an image of both of the narrators' subjects. The opening line is vital to any poem, as it has the potential to instantly interest the reader. "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall" begins 'My Last Duchess' halfway through the conversation, leaving the audience eager to determine to whom the speaker is talking to. This statement also hints that the story of his "last duchess" will follow, thus sustaining the interest of the audience. By using dramatic monologue in 'My Last Duchess', the reader feels personally involved in the scene, as if the Duke is directly talking to him. In fact the Duke is speaking to an emissary, who has been sent by a Count to see whether the Duke is an appropriate suitor for his daughter. The lack of response from this envoy however gives the reader the chance to replace him, thus becoming the only person to whom the Duke is speaking.
'Porphyria's Lover' opens with an atmospheric picture of the weather, perhaps suggesting pathetic fallacy, reflecting the mood of the narrator. The first impression the
In 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'My Last Duchess', Browning uses several features of dramatic monologue in order to engage and sustain the interest of the audience. This style of monologue is spoken by a character, which is not the poet, and is usually projected at a critical moment, as in the case of 'My Last Duchess' and 'Porphyria's Lover'. The speakers unintentionally reveal their insanity, in both poems, through their separate accounts. By studying a comparison of the two poems, it becomes clear that Browning has used similar disturbing themes to illustrate what an individual is capable of doing for his own reasons.
Browning's work is known to be an example of dramatic monologue, with this being the way in which he is able to portray the insanity of his characters. By using the technique of dramatic monologue in 'Porphyria's Lover' and 'My Last Duchess', the reader is immediately given an image of both of the narrators' subjects. The opening line is vital to any poem, as it has the potential to instantly interest the reader. "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall" begins 'My Last Duchess' halfway through the conversation, leaving the audience eager to determine to whom the speaker is talking to. This statement also hints that the story of his "last duchess" will follow, thus sustaining the interest of the audience. By using dramatic monologue in 'My Last Duchess', the reader feels personally involved in the scene, as if the Duke is directly talking to him. In fact the Duke is speaking to an emissary, who has been sent by a Count to see whether the Duke is an appropriate suitor for his daughter. The lack of response from this envoy however gives the reader the chance to replace him, thus becoming the only person to whom the Duke is speaking.
'Porphyria's Lover' opens with an atmospheric picture of the weather, perhaps suggesting pathetic fallacy, reflecting the mood of the narrator. The first impression the