Compare the Central Characters in ‘Medusa’ and ‘My Last Duchess’
Compare the central characters in ‘Medusa’ and ‘My Last Duchess’
Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Medusa’ and Robert Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ are two entirely different poems in many respects. Written in entirely different eras, some would say that they are as opposite as poetry could be. However, their central characters have some remarkable similarities that strike a chord with the reader and represent a common theme. In each of the poems, both Medusa and the Duke of Ferrara represent the fickleness of power and how it fluctuates in daily life. Duffy’s manipulation of a paradox within ‘Medusa’ displays the extent to which power plays a part in the Greek myth of Medusa. The extended metaphor of Medusa with “filthy snakes” that “hissed and spat” creates an impression of aggression and physical strength. The sibilance of “hissed and spat” creates an onomatopoeic which helps the reader to conjure a vivid image as well as presenting Medusa as bitter and angry about her life. In addition, the use of dynamic verbs “spattered”, “shattered” and “spewed” show the raw strength that Medusa’s power gives her. However, the paradox is in that Medusa is so powerful that she traps herself and cannot have a real life as a young woman, finding love and happiness, further reinforcing her bitter tone. Her vulnerability is highlighted by the fact that she tells her partner to “be terrified” and that it would be “better by far” for him to leave her, evoking pathos in the reader. The final line “Look at me now.” is ironic in that as much as she craves interaction and wishes that someone could see beyond the mask and recognise her for who she is, no one can ever do that. This creates a sense of isolation, and the reader is sympathetic to her because of this. The Duke wields a different form of power in ‘My Last Duchess’; that of a political and social form. He views everyone as his possessions, particularly his wife, which is shown through the repeated use of the personal pronoun “my”,
Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Medusa’ and Robert Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ are two entirely different poems in many respects. Written in entirely different eras, some would say that they are as opposite as poetry could be. However, their central characters have some remarkable similarities that strike a chord with the reader and represent a common theme. In each of the poems, both Medusa and the Duke of Ferrara represent the fickleness of power and how it fluctuates in daily life. Duffy’s manipulation of a paradox within ‘Medusa’ displays the extent to which power plays a part in the Greek myth of Medusa. The extended metaphor of Medusa with “filthy snakes” that “hissed and spat” creates an impression of aggression and physical strength. The sibilance of “hissed and spat” creates an onomatopoeic which helps the reader to conjure a vivid image as well as presenting Medusa as bitter and angry about her life. In addition, the use of dynamic verbs “spattered”, “shattered” and “spewed” show the raw strength that Medusa’s power gives her. However, the paradox is in that Medusa is so powerful that she traps herself and cannot have a real life as a young woman, finding love and happiness, further reinforcing her bitter tone. Her vulnerability is highlighted by the fact that she tells her partner to “be terrified” and that it would be “better by far” for him to leave her, evoking pathos in the reader. The final line “Look at me now.” is ironic in that as much as she craves interaction and wishes that someone could see beyond the mask and recognise her for who she is, no one can ever do that. This creates a sense of isolation, and the reader is sympathetic to her because of this. The Duke wields a different form of power in ‘My Last Duchess’; that of a political and social form. He views everyone as his possessions, particularly his wife, which is shown through the repeated use of the personal pronoun “my”,