6.2 The dramatic monologue in Browning's poetry

Robert Browning's dramatic monologues revolutionized Victorian poetry. These poems feature a single character speaking to a silent audience, revealing their thoughts and motivations. Browning's monologues often showcase complex, unreliable narrators who inadvertently expose their true nature.

Browning's most famous monologues include "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover." These poems dive deep into the psyche of morally ambiguous characters, using unreliable narrators and dramatic irony to engage readers in psychological exploration and uncover hidden truths.

Dramatic Monologue Form

Characteristics of Browning's Dramatic Monologues

Top images from around the web for Characteristics of Browning's Dramatic Monologues

• 

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Biography: Robert Browning | English Literature: Victorians and Moderns View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Narrative and Dramatic Poetry: monologue View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Biography: Robert Browning | English Literature: Victorians and Moderns View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Characteristics of Browning's Dramatic Monologues

• 

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Biography: Robert Browning | English Literature: Victorians and Moderns View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Narrative and Dramatic Poetry: monologue View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Biography: Robert Browning | English Literature: Victorians and Moderns View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Robert Browning, a prominent Victorian poet, popularized the dramatic monologue form
• Dramatic monologue is a poetic form in which a single character speaks to a silent audience, revealing their thoughts, feelings, and motivations
• Browning's dramatic monologues often feature complex, psychologically nuanced characters who inadvertently reveal their true nature through their speech
• The speakers in Browning's monologues are often unreliable narrators, presenting a biased or distorted view of events

Notable Examples of Browning's Dramatic Monologues

• "My Last Duchess" is a dramatic monologue in which the Duke of Ferrara reveals his possessive and controlling nature while discussing a portrait of his late wife
  • The Duke's casual references to his wife's death and his own jealousy expose his sinister character
• "Porphyria's Lover" features a disturbed speaker who strangles his lover, Porphyria, in a twisted attempt to preserve the perfect moment of their love
  • The speaker's calm, matter-of-fact tone contrasts sharply with the violence of his actions, highlighting his mental instability
• "The Ring and the Book" is a book-length poem consisting of a series of dramatic monologues that explore a murder case from multiple perspectives
  • Each monologue provides a different viewpoint on the events, demonstrating how truth can be subjective and influenced by personal biases

Narrative Techniques

Psychological Realism and Character Revelation

• Browning's dramatic monologues are known for their psychological realism, delving deep into the minds of complex, often morally ambiguous characters
  • The speakers' thoughts, emotions, and motivations are vividly portrayed, creating a sense of authenticity and depth
• Through the monologue form, Browning gradually reveals the true nature of his characters, often exposing their flaws, obsessions, and hidden desires
  • The speakers' own words and actions serve to unveil their psychological makeup, allowing readers to form their own judgments

Unreliable Narrators and Dramatic Irony

• Browning frequently employs unreliable narrators in his dramatic monologues, presenting events and characters through the biased lens of the speaker
  • The speaker's perspective may be skewed by their own prejudices, self-delusions, or lack of self-awareness
• The use of unreliable narrators creates dramatic irony, as the audience perceives the truth behind the speaker's words, even when the speaker remains oblivious
  • This technique engages readers in the psychological exploration of the character, inviting them to uncover the hidden meanings and motives behind the speaker's words
• For example, in "My Last Duchess," the Duke's nonchalant attitude towards his wife's death and his emphasis on her perceived shortcomings ironically reveal his own cruel and possessive nature