Martha Peacock
‘Guilt is its own punishment; it tortures those who have to live with it’
Within crime fiction, guilt is explored frequently for the readers to take pleasure
in discovering the criminal psyche and satisfy humanity’s craving for dark
thoughts. The inclusion of guilt can also be used to deter humanity from
committing violent attacks as we are now acutely aware of the disastrous effects
of guilt. Seen by Lady Macbeth’ s unnatural sleepwalking and talking concurred
by her guilt of Duncan and Banquo’s murder. Within George Crabbe and Robert
Browning’s poetry themes of guilt and mental punishment of the perpetrators for
their crimes can showcase this dark psychology readers crave, and the uneasy
but suspenseful look into a killer’s mind that satisfy our dark cravings creating
catharsis.
Within Robert Browning’s ‘Porphyria’s lover’ the poem highlights morbid and
twisted narratives emphasised by Browning’s deep fascination with them. Within
this dramatic monologue the criminal displays common psychopathic traits seen
by his irrational personification of the weather, where he believes the elm-tops
“did it’s worse to vex the lake”. This personification also creates a clear setting
where the environment mirrors the crime and could be seen as foreshadowing to
the reader. The harsh and violent weather reflects the nature of the crime which
could suggest Browning is showing the influence that nature can have on a
criminal, leaving the readers to contemplate the debate of nature vs nurture and
whether the speaker is truly evil, or just a product of his social order. This
unidentified speaker is theoretically lower class than his lover, referenced by her
“smooth white shoulder”; her white skin is a sign of upper class as she does not
work outside, this was a common beauty standard of the 1800’s. Porphyria has
power over her lover which is uncommon in a patriarchal society and could be a
reference to the newly emerging Suffrage movement. Her power is seen with “I
looked up at her eyes” which symbolises unconscious respect, this may show
that he must show respect to her because of the social convention of the class
system. However the speaker is enraged and belittled by her, the motive for his
crime could be to restore a woman to her rightful place (“Only this time my
shoulder bore her head”); due to this act of passion, which he believes is just,
Porphyria’s lover feels little to no remorse and has the belief God will agree with
him, as he did not say a word. The readers are aware the murder was unjust, and
the speaker’s delusion could demonstrate further psychotic traits, even believing
it was her “one wish”. Critics may argue that the narrator’s punishment is his
unstable and unhealthy mental state.
Within ‘My Last Duchess’ another of Browning’s poems, also explores the unjust
treatment of an innocent female based on the true story of Duke Alfred Alonso.
The tight power and control that the Duke has is referenced by the constant
rhyming couplets, however there are limitations to the power, due to the
enjambment that runs through the dramatic monologue; this is similar to how
the Duchess tested the Duke’s power, seen by the Duke’s dislike for her
ingratitude for his “900-year-old name”. After her death, which is implied in the
text that her murdered her, the Duke can finally control his late wife often having
guests sit and look at her portrait, “looking as if she were alive”. This simile
references death and the “...as if…” implies a sinister tone, allowing the reader
an insight into the evilness of the Duke. The narcissistic renaissance Duke is
‘Guilt is its own punishment; it tortures those who have to live with it’
Within crime fiction, guilt is explored frequently for the readers to take pleasure
in discovering the criminal psyche and satisfy humanity’s craving for dark
thoughts. The inclusion of guilt can also be used to deter humanity from
committing violent attacks as we are now acutely aware of the disastrous effects
of guilt. Seen by Lady Macbeth’ s unnatural sleepwalking and talking concurred
by her guilt of Duncan and Banquo’s murder. Within George Crabbe and Robert
Browning’s poetry themes of guilt and mental punishment of the perpetrators for
their crimes can showcase this dark psychology readers crave, and the uneasy
but suspenseful look into a killer’s mind that satisfy our dark cravings creating
catharsis.
Within Robert Browning’s ‘Porphyria’s lover’ the poem highlights morbid and
twisted narratives emphasised by Browning’s deep fascination with them. Within
this dramatic monologue the criminal displays common psychopathic traits seen
by his irrational personification of the weather, where he believes the elm-tops
“did it’s worse to vex the lake”. This personification also creates a clear setting
where the environment mirrors the crime and could be seen as foreshadowing to
the reader. The harsh and violent weather reflects the nature of the crime which
could suggest Browning is showing the influence that nature can have on a
criminal, leaving the readers to contemplate the debate of nature vs nurture and
whether the speaker is truly evil, or just a product of his social order. This
unidentified speaker is theoretically lower class than his lover, referenced by her
“smooth white shoulder”; her white skin is a sign of upper class as she does not
work outside, this was a common beauty standard of the 1800’s. Porphyria has
power over her lover which is uncommon in a patriarchal society and could be a
reference to the newly emerging Suffrage movement. Her power is seen with “I
looked up at her eyes” which symbolises unconscious respect, this may show
that he must show respect to her because of the social convention of the class
system. However the speaker is enraged and belittled by her, the motive for his
crime could be to restore a woman to her rightful place (“Only this time my
shoulder bore her head”); due to this act of passion, which he believes is just,
Porphyria’s lover feels little to no remorse and has the belief God will agree with
him, as he did not say a word. The readers are aware the murder was unjust, and
the speaker’s delusion could demonstrate further psychotic traits, even believing
it was her “one wish”. Critics may argue that the narrator’s punishment is his
unstable and unhealthy mental state.
Within ‘My Last Duchess’ another of Browning’s poems, also explores the unjust
treatment of an innocent female based on the true story of Duke Alfred Alonso.
The tight power and control that the Duke has is referenced by the constant
rhyming couplets, however there are limitations to the power, due to the
enjambment that runs through the dramatic monologue; this is similar to how
the Duchess tested the Duke’s power, seen by the Duke’s dislike for her
ingratitude for his “900-year-old name”. After her death, which is implied in the
text that her murdered her, the Duke can finally control his late wife often having
guests sit and look at her portrait, “looking as if she were alive”. This simile
references death and the “...as if…” implies a sinister tone, allowing the reader
an insight into the evilness of the Duke. The narcissistic renaissance Duke is
