Insanity and Possessiveness in Browning's 'Porphyria's Lover' Analysis

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the theme of insanity in Robert Browning's dramatic monologue, 'Porphyria's Lover.' The essay explores how the speaker's madness, fueled by jealousy and possessiveness, drives the narrative and culminates in the murder of Porphyria. It examines the speaker's distorted perception of love, his desire for control, and the impact of Victorian domesticity on the poem's themes. The essay references various scholarly sources to support its arguments, highlighting the poem's exploration of sexual violence, gender roles, and the objectification of women. It delves into the speaker's calm narration of a violent act, the reversal of gender norms, and the speaker's belief in Porphyria's purity, ultimately emphasizing the destructive nature of unchecked emotions and the complexities of the human psyche.

Running head: THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
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1THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
The subject of insanity is the unique theme of Browning’s collection of dramatic
monologues called ‘Madhouse Cells’ and Porphyria’s Lover is one of his genius. All the
dramatic monologues of this particular collection has similarities in them because all the
speakers of these monologues are not in the right state of mind (Hunter). With many other
issues, most of the scholars have recorded the theme of madness in Porphyria’s Lover and the
action that drives the entire poem from beginning to climax is an effect of insanity of the
lover. The lover is overwhelmed with jealousy that ultimately drives him mad.
The Victorian age chronicles many changes especially changes in the domesticity
ideology. This poem by Robert Browning sheds light of the theme of sexual violence which
was a burning issue of that period. A dramatic monologue instead of a detailed novel more
accurately demonstrates the rapid emotional changes in the mind of the speaker. The speaker
narrates the entire tale in a calm and steady tone that makes him apparently normal like other
lovers. In the beginning of the monologue, the readers have no clue that this man is a perfect
evil to kill Porphyria out of possessiveness (Faas). The romantic feeling that dominates the
entire poem suddenly vanishes when the insane lover strangles Porphyria with her own hair.
There is no doubt that the speaker is the murderer because he himself has surrendered
it. In addition to this he has described all the possible circumstances after his action but
shows no remorse for what he did. The speaker is a literal as well as figurative in the opening
of the poem with no control over the actions of the poem. It is Porphyria who enters the scene
and takes control. She places his heads on her shoulder which represents reversal of norms of
the accepted gender roles. Knotholes the situation culminates when Porphyria complains
about the issues of pride and vanity, preventing her to get absorbed in love completely
(Bush). This is the moment where the natural flow of incident gets reversed and the speaker
decides to freeze this moment of love. The calm tone for the most violent act reveals his
absurdity (Bailey).

2THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
The speaker exposes his longing to possess Porphyria not to indicate his passionate
instability. He interprets Porphyria’s loving gesture by placing his head against her bare white
shoulder as her care and love for the lover. Porphyria is an ideal Victorian lady who has come
to meet the speaker in their secluded dwelling. He knows that Porphyria is pure at heart and
good in character. Nothings can alter her love for him. All these thoughts that emerges in the
mind of the lover are his own belief and judgements as an insane lover. He knows that she
worships him and this thought made him supremely satisfied. On other hand it creates a
feeling of suspicion in the mind of the lover that he might lose her. Hence he acts according
to his impractical mind (Komorowski).
In the course of the poem the speer continues to reveal his real nature. He is extremely
possessive with his lady love. He is not concerned with the feelings and senses of Porphyria.
He goes on exaggerating the extreme romantic feelings that originated from the unbelievable
love for his lady. The insane lover keeps on suggesting that Porphyria is too weak to suppress
her love for him and it is the prime fault of her nature. The moment she expresses her
uncontrollable love for him, the speaker decides to murder her so that her thoughts cannot be
alters by any external or internal forces. His irrational mind keeps in instigating him to see
the physical beauty of Porphyria even after her death.
“About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:” (Poetryfoundation.org)
Despite the fact that it is difficult for the readers to find male hypocrisy in this poem
because the apparent lines of this dramatic monologues tries to reduce the responsibility of
the lover as an evil murderer. These lines particularly suggest the theme of possessiveness in
the mind of the speaker who wants to have Porphyria all to himself. He wants to keep her
purity and goodness intact (Tarr). This perfect example of possessiveness intensifies with the

3THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
explanation of his insanity that ignites with the feelings of intense obsession as well as male
control over the female body and mind.
The theme of female objectification is prevalent in the literature of the Victorian age
is quite frequent. It was the decency, care and civility which distinguished the women
behaviour. The maintenance of strict social as well as moral codes were expected. The
fascination about the long hair, uniquely suited for conveying symbolic meanings in the
physicality of the women (Rafiq, Tahmina, and Faiza). In addition to this, the men had all
types of control over the women. Here the sexual objectification is explained more vividly
where the speaker treats the body of the lady love as object. In the entire poem the speaker
does not state anything about the personality or dignity of Porphyria but continues to detail
her physical beauty even after death (Afsari, Nasim, and Elham). She has been treated as an
object or inferior to human being whose value of life completely depends upon the speaker’s
desire. He trades the body to show power alteration and states that for the first time he bore
her head on her shoulder.
“I propped her head up as before,
Only, this time my shoulder bore”
It does not bear the same sense of care and love that the similar act by Porphyria does
but reveals the satisfaction of success. The speaker is finally able to freeze the moment of
love. He is sure that Porphyria’s love is so strong and pure that she does not feel pain The
speaker is sure that nobody will be able to separate them. Therefore, it can be concluded that
jealousy followed love can drive anyone to impossible acts.

4THEME OF INSANITY IN PORPHYRIA’S LOVER
References:
Afsari, Nasim, and Elham Omrani. "Demon Lovers versus Damsels in Distress: An
Archetypal Reading of Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and Porphyria’s
Lover." International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences 64 (2015): 10-16.
Bailey, Suzanne. "Robert Browning." Victorian Poetry 55.3 (2017): 349-372.
Bush, Kaitlyn. "Porphyria and the Lady: Perfecting Femininity." Volume 30 Spring 2015 30
(2015).
Faas, Ekbert. Retreat into the Mind: Victorian Poetry and the Rise of Psychiatry. Princeton
University Press, 2014.
Hunter, Hannah. Beyond Marriage and Motherhood: The Motifs Þnvolved in the Portrayal of
Women in Literature. Diss. Coastal Carolina University, 2014.
Komorowski, Jennifer. "Exposing the Monsters Behind Victorian Domestic Abuse." (2014).
Poetryfoundation.org. "Porphyria's Lover By Robert Browning." Poetry Foundation. N.p.,
2018. Web. 16 Mar. 2018.
Rafiq, Tahmina, and Faiza Noureen. "Representation of the character of men and women in
Poetry–A Critical Discourse Analysis of Robert Browning's Poems." International Journal of
Scientific and Research Publications (2015).
Tarr, Clayton Carlyle. "Pleasurable Suspension: Erotic Asphyxiation in the Nineteenth
Century." Nineteenth-Century Contexts 38.1 (2016): 55-68.