Compare the presentation of the Duke and Porphyrias...

Compare the presentation of the Duke and Porphyrias lover in My Last Duchess and Porphyrias lover Browning has presented The Duke and Porphyrias lover as obsessive and controlling in the two poems. Telling the stories from the characters point of view makes it clear that they both feel threatened by their partners, and wish to regain the lead role they should have as the men in their relationships. Rather than confronting their significant others, they kill them because of their obsessive nature and lack of communication. The Duke on one hand feels that he can only possess the Duchess in a painting because he can control who looks upon her, where as Porphyrias lover wants to capture Porphyria when he finally feels in†¦show more content†¦Porphyrias lover was afraid that Porphyria would not wholly commit to him, never involving him with her life and would only use him as an escape from vainer ties. He thought that because she was of higher class than him, she would never pursue their relationship seriously. Ironically he was so insecure about his status in life, he never realised his status in the relationship; that she loved him as much as he loved her. This is obvious since she came to see him through wind and rain. The Duke on the other hand believed that the Duchess should respect him more than others because of his nine-hundred-year-old-name and describes how any man could not have passed without/much the same smile he himself received from the Duchess. This pretentious assumption that because of his class he should be admired far more than anyone, displays his arrogance and self-importance. The relationships in the two poems are very different: The Duke and the Duchess were only married because of his status and shallowness but Porphyria and her lover appear to be deeply in love with each other. Both poems involve murders that are key to the story. The women are however killed in different ways and for different reasons that help to explain the personalities of the Duke and Porphyrias lover. The Duke appears irrational as he gave commands for his wife to be killed when he had no proof of an affair. He refused to confront her, as he did not want to