The Victorian era was a time of overseas expansion and domestic reform. During this period of growth and change, there is a wave of literary movements and technological advancements that have shaped its culture and brought forth a new direction of prosperity. We are introduced to numerous authors, each providing different and unique perceptions through their writing. As we continue reading the unit, we begin to realize that personal relationships such as love, marriage and friendship become very important to the Victorians. However, writers of this period suggest different ideals. Some of these writers express a darker approach, among them is Robert Browning. He is best known as one of the greatest Victorian poets, and the techniques he learned as a playwright led him to master the dramatic monologue. Dramatic monologues are a way to express a character's opinions and give the audience greater insight into that character's feelings. "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" are among Browning's best dramatic monologues. "My Last Duchess" is written in rhyming iambic pentameter verse. It concerns the inner thoughts of a single speaker (the Duke) who he reveals the portrait of his ex-wife to the count's agent and explains what happened and what led to his unfortunate fate are several hints at symbolism and imagery that plays a key role throughout the poem, such as the portrait of the duchess , the smile and the bow. Not much is said about the portrait, except that it is realistic and captures the emotional state of the Duchess. According to the Duke, considers them useless because... middle of paper... it's all about power and jealousy, the Duke becomes jealous of the attention his wife shows to other people Takes charge and decides that murder is its only solution. The Duke wants people to understand his authority, any sense of emotion expressed by his wife was considered a threat to his power. He is proud of his position in society and is not willing to take risks. In “Porphyria's Lover” Porphyria seems to belong to a higher social class, her lover knows this and kills her in an attempt to bring balance to their relationship. The love they have for each other quickly turns into a power play; his desire to possess Porphyria reduces her to an object he can manipulate. The fact that both poems involve some sort of murder calls into question the author's behavior. Robert Browning's works are dark and dark; they fit perfectly into the Victorian era.