On the Entrapment and Incarceration of the Victorian...

Thomas Blackburn describes the two Victorian poets, Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as being great contemporaries (47). As such it is apt that their works should muse upon and explore similar topics and themes. Their connection is especially evident in Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess† and Tennyson’s â€Å"The Lady of Shalott†. The themes of entrapment and incarceration feature heavily in both of these works. Specifically, it is the entrapment and incarceration of women which pervade their respective compositions. When taking into consideration the way in which women were viewed at this juncture in history- being nothing more than â€Å"beautiful objects† (Gilbert and Gubar 54), it is quite easy to see how the literary representations of the†¦show more content†¦While the Duke of Ferrara never explicitly verbalizes the Duchess’ fate, it is strongly implied that she died as a result of her inability to conform to his model o f appropriate behaviour: -And if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse -E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive (Browning, My Last Duchess, lines 39-47) Thus the Duchess is bound to the Duke and has become imprisoned within his art collection as nothing more than a possession. The Duke exemplifies this view when he makes reference to another piece of his art collection, as if the current and previous subjects of his monologue were completely analogous, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though/ Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! (Browning 54-56), he truly appreciates both pieces with similar enthusiasm. Although the Duchess is allocated no space to give her side of the story, through the Duke’s depiction the reader can infer that she was killed for having her own free will and as such there is zero doubt that she is a victim of imprisonment of the Duke’s egocentric ideals. While he puts an adulterous spin on her actions, by declaring: She had A heart- how shall I say?-Show MoreRelatedJane Eyre Feminist Analysis1045 Words   |  5 PagesJane Eyre is recognized and acclaimed as a classic feminist novel, a bold social commentary penned by a daring woman intent on shedding light on the hypocrisy that riddled Victorian society. This view is indeed accurate. However, Charlotte Brontà « only dares so much; she only sheds so much light. In â€Å"â€Å"The Maniac Bellowed†: Queer Affect and Queer Temporality in Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre†, Carolyn Marjorie Davis asserts that the arms of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s feminism do not embrace women who fail to fulfill certain