Dramatic Monologue Comparisson
Dramatic monologue: a single speaker who addresses one or more listeners who don’t reply, in doing so, the reveal many characteristics of personality. Although they all are monologues, the contexts of these three poems are very different, and they all consciously or subconsciously reveal personality traits that their characters have. “Ulysses”, a hero of an ancient Greek epic poem, is addressing his mariners before they set sail; the character in “Dover Beach” is talking to his loved one as he glances out, longingly, to the Aegean Sea; the Duke of “My Last Duchess” is talking to an envoy that has come to arrange his second marriage. Some of these characters reveal to us that their personality traits are positive and loving, while others reveal their cruel, negative traits.
Before setting out on his last voyage, “Ulysses” is talking to his crew. The people that “Ulysses” rule over do not know how famous their King really is, and “Ulysses” notices this; being proud of what he has done in his past ‘[he has] become a name’ (line 11), saying that anywhere he were to go, people, who he does not rule over would know how important he is. Although this may seem to be an arrogant thing to say, “Ulysses” is merely pointing out the fact that his people need to respect him for who he really is – a war hero. This could be one of the main reasons that he is heading out on a journey to the unknown. “Ulysses” is proud of his son, who he knows is going to succeed him after he has gone. Claiming that his son will rule ‘by slow prudence to make mild a rugged people,’ (line 36-37) “Ulysses” knows how prudent his son is, and that is why he thinks that his succession will make the people of Ithaca more respectful and loving towards their King. Being quite decent at self-knowledge - the ability to analyze oneself – “Ulysses” even claims that he is an imprudent man; ‘he works his work, I mine’ (line 43), saying that...
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