Demon lovers versus damsels in distress: an archetypal reading of Robert Browning's my last duchess and Porphyria's lover

Abstract

Each literary work has a world of its own and discovering this world may seem undemanding and straightforward. By contrast, the realm of a literary work might be loaded with hints for a reader who has established a harmonious relationship with that world. The world depicted by the work may well encourage this reader to pass from the surface meaning toward the heart of the idea. This paper tries to reveal the secondary layer of meaning in two poems by Robert Browning, My Last Duchess and Porphyria's Lover, by focusing on the archetypal elements implemented in them. The recent study explores the archetypal characters playing their roles in the poem by focusing on old archetypes such as the Soul Mate, Damsel in Distress, Innocent youth and Demon Lover. Then it elaborates on the archetypal motifs or patterns such as immortality and scapegoat. Furthermore, the last part of discussion elaborates on Jung's principal archetypes (shadow, persona, and anima) and his theory of individuation.