1. Disturbed Characters
– Making the links
Discuss how disturbed characters are
presented in Othello & two Browning poems.
Writing a good introduction

2. Discuss how disturbed
characters are presented in
Othello & two Browning
poems.
Your introduction must do several things to get your essay kicked off 
1. Say what you are going to do:
“In this essay I will compare how disturbed characters are presented
in…” Name your texts.
2. Define your parameters for the keywords in the title – here you will
want to be defining “disturbed” – a simple dictionary definition will
work well here. Explaining it using some synonyms will help later as you
won’t be repeating yourself
3. Briefly outline the texts you are going to look at the characters you are
going to be talking about and why. (Iago, Othello, The Duke, Porphyria’s
Lover) Don’t go into detail yet!

3. My sample introduction
Tell us what your
question is &
Define “Disturbed”
• In this essay I will compare how disturbed
characters are presented in a number of texts.
Firstly, I will define the use of the word
“disturbed”: To fulfil this criteria, the characters I
am looking at will present themselves as being
emotionally troubled or maladjusted – even a bit
deranged. They may be unstable or have difficulty
coping with personal relationships. They could
also have neurotic or psychotic tendencies, which
could also show themselves through a capacity
for violence.

4. My sample introduction
Tell us what
characters you’re
looking at: Iago and
Othello from
‘Othello’
• I will be looking at two characters from William
Shakespeare's play ‘Othello’ and the protagonists from two
Robert Browning poems, both dramatic monologues. I will
look at Othello and Iago. Othello is a General in the
Venetian army and Iago is his ensign – a trusted and loyal
soldier.
• Iago is shown to be a bitter and disturbed character from
the start. Whereas Othello is shown to be a strong and
powerful leader, who keeps his cool, never losing his head.
However, throughout the course of ‘Othello’ his mental
state deteriorates until his language bears more
resemblance to Iago's as the play continues to its tragic
ending and the death of Desdemona.

5. My sample introduction
Tell us what
characters you’re
looking at: The
Duke and
Porphyria’s Lover
• In the first Browning poem ‘My Last Duchess’, I will be
focusing on the Duke who narrates the poem. Through
the use of language he is shown to be a dominating
and powerful figure, but is wracked with jealousy and a
need to assert his control over his late wife. I will be
also look at Browning's other dramatic monologue
‘Porphyria's Lover’, again focusing on the narrator of
the monologue. In this poem Browning presents the
protagonist as disturbed once more, but quite
differently: The speaker in the poem openly reveals the
murder he has committed, unless the Duke in Duchess
who appears to speak in thinly disguised metaphors
and riddles.

6. Making the links – Porphyria’s Lover
and My Last Duchess
• Both are dramatic monologues in which the
lover narrates his tale of love and agony
• In PL we hear how a strange man has made
Porphyria’s love for him last forever – but in
MLD we find a cultured and suave man
boasting about his previous wife and how he
controlled her

7. Making the links – Porphyria’s Lover
and My Last Duchess
• THEME – The central theme in both poems is
Love, plus the need to preserve love for one’s self.
• Both lovers wanted to keep their women just for
them – while Porphyria’s boldness frustrated her
husband to keep her close to him only, the
Duchess’s flirtatious nature forced her husband to
control her.
• Both chose to kill the women they loved – both
routed in powerful jealousy.
• This is also a link to Othello as he was driven mad
by jealousy – the “green eyed monster” that Iago
encouraged.

8. Making the links – Porphyria’s Lover
and My Last Duchess
• THE LOVERS – What is different?
• While the lover in PL’s decision to kill her is
unexpected, the Duke’s decision is much more planned
– as was Othello’s plan to kill Des
• The similarity is that both murderers make the readers
believe their victims are still alive by propping them up
or depicting them in a canvas, forcing the beloved into
submission
• However, Porphyia’s Lover is an abnormal man who
does not realise the repercussions of his act.
• The Duke meanwhile is much more composed – He
boasts how he has preserved his lady’s love, but is
soon ready for another marriage.

9. Othello and Porphyria’s Lover
• Both end with a women killed by her lover
• Both Des and Porp are suffocated: Des with a pillow
and Porp with her hair!
• Othello gives the reason for this method in 5.2.3
saying:
• “I’ll not shed her blood nor scar that whiter skins of
her” adding “She must die, else she’ll betray more
men”
• Whereas Porp’s lover kills her because he wants to
bind her to him eternally
• Iago also kills his wife Emilia in 5.2 calling her a
“villainous whore!” – though this is due to her
revealing his plotting to the rest of the characters!

10. Othello and Porphyria’s Lover
• Who characters answer to for their crimes is
important – Both Iago and Porphyria’s Lover
reference a ‘higher power’
• Iago says in 1.1.61 that “Heaven is my judge”
meaning that the only entity that can punish him
is God – a common viewpoint given by serial
killers!
• Whereas, in PL the speaker ends the poem saying
“And yet God has not said a word” – this
suggests that he only looks to God for judgement:
As he has not reacted to the murder, struck him
down etc, then it must not be a crime! = This
suggests a very warped and deranged mind!

11. Men vs Women
• Male authority is threatened across all the texts
• Desdemona demonstrated her independence by going
against her father’s wishes in marrying Othello (“She
has deceived her father, and may thee” *1.3.333+)
• In MLD The Duchess’s outgoing personality threatens
the insecure Duke, as she laughs and flirts (in his eyes)
with local peasants “some officious fool .. In the
orchard” and even the painter she sat for
• In PL Porphyria splits her time between the speaker
and “vainer ties” – social events associated with ladies
of her class & status such as the “gay feast” (party) she
had been attending

12. Power Struggles in MLD and PL
• MLD - “And I choose / Never to stoop.” The Duke will
never back down, apologise or bend his will for any
woman.
• PL – “She put my arm about her waist” – Porp in
control … “And, stooping, made my cheek lie there”
(on her shoulder) Porp in dominant position
• “That moment she was mine, mine” – wants to have
control over her – “I propp’d her head up as
before, only, this time my shoulder bore her head”
Now her lover is in the dominant position, holding her
up (though she is dead)

13. Iago
Othello
The Duke
Porphyria’s Lover
Jealous of Cassio, has
paranoid thoughts that
both Cassio and Othello
have slept with his wife
Emilia
Grows jealous of
Desdemona because
of Iago’s prompting
despite little to no
evidence
Jealous of Duchess
smiling at other men,
too easily pleased at
the gifts they give
her
Jealous of Porphyria
spending time with
others at social
gatherings
Motive – What is it? How
do they justify their
actions?
Control – Do they want
control? Over who or
what?
Murder – what are their
thoughts towards this?
Pre-meditation – Are
their actions planned?
Aftermath of actions – is
there remorse? Guilt?