A Perspective on Murder of the Beloved in Browning’s Poems: “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess”

Abstract

This paper examines the idea of the beloveds’ murder in Robert Browning’s poems “Porphyria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess,” focusing on the psychological complexity of the speakers and Browning’s distinctive use of the dramatic monologue. Although Browning often presents life, death, and love through an apparently optimistic lens, these two poems reveal darker and unconventional dimensions of passion, possessiveness, and control. The study begins with a brief overview of Browning’s life and his contribution to the development of the dramatic monologue before moving to a close analysis of the selected texts. In “Porphyria’s Lover,” the speaker justifies the murder of Porphyria as a means of preserving a perfect moment of love, transforming death into an eternal union, while in “My Last Duchess,” the Duke’s calm yet revealing speech exposes jealousy, pride, and an obsessive desire for authority that culminates in the Duchess’s death. Through dramatic irony, Browning allows readers to perceive the moral and psychological distortions of the speakers more clearly than they perceive themselves. Ultimately, the paper argues that Browning redefines love by presenting it as both elevating and destructive, where devotion intertwined with ego and dominance results in the silencing—and ultimate annihilation—of the beloved.