How Does Browning Tell the Story in the Laboratory

How does Browning tell the story in â€Å"The Laboratory†? Robert Browning’s poem â€Å"The Laboratory† is set in France before the French Revolution. The dramatic monologue is about the narrator herself and her plotting of revenge against her previous lover and his current mistress and it tells the reader how she plans on doing so. She believes her actions in the story are justified and reasonable. In the poem, the story’s tone is established with the setting, which also helps create vivid imagery for the readers, making it easier to put into context and understand. Browning uses the title to set the scene for the story, as â€Å"The Laboratory† is a place where scientific experiments take place. But oddly, in the poem it’s a place the narrator†¦show more content†¦She is considered less worthy than them, which only strengthens her resolve to demonstrate her superiority through the murder. One could argue that the speaker has never actually been involved with her beloved, since she gives no direct proof of a relationship. Further, as her lover and competitors all know that she is aware of the affair, it is possible that they do not even know they are offending her in any way. There is also, in the empty church line, the slightest indication that perhaps she was seeking guidance from God and she was commanded to murder her; similar to the story of Abraham in the Bible when God commands him to kill his son. Much can be drawn from Brownings masterful subtly. Finally, sexuality is presented in this poem as something capable of great horror. In the same way that the bright, pretty poison will ultimately cause painful death, so does the allure of sexuality have a dark side. Sexuality is certainly behind whatever actions have led this woman to the apothecary, but it is important to keep in mind her willingness to use it on the apothecary in the final stanza, when she tells him, You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will! Perhaps this poem should not be taken as a moral message but rather read it as his uses of values, which also surround their opposite. What drives men and women to celebrate life, or start it, can also cause that life toShow MoreRelatedMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1529 Words   |  7 PagesNot Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Havisham, The Laboratory, My Last Duchess and On My First Sonne have all crafted very emotion based poems, all 6 present strong feelings. Some through manic speech and rhythm, others through a deeper meaning. I would say the majority of these poems (Havisham, Duchess, Laboratory and Photographer) all feature protagonists with mental disorders, after or during certain situations. 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