PATRIARCHY AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN ROBERT BROWNING’S POETRY

This paper analyses four poems, which portray violence against women resulting from patriarchy. These poems are The Ring and the Book, “My Last Duchess”, “Porphyria, s Lover”, and “The Laboratory”. Using the liberal feminist and psychological theories the paper argues that while women fight to challenge tradition and convention put by men / patriarchy to impede their freedom, men on their part, are bent on maintaining this tradition and convention put in place by patriarchy, a system which favours them. The paper reveals that women who challenge this tradition and convention put by men/patriarchy, end up paying with their lives. In this connection, Robert Browning's stand is that women should fight for their freedom even if it means dying for it. By presenting these scenarios in these poems, Browning seeks to show the injustice done to women and in the process, calls the attention of the powers that be for a review or revision of social habits that will enable the woman to fully realize herself in the process, and humanity in general.