Mostpeoplewhosawtheperformanceof“Strafford“givenin1886，undertheauspicesoftheBrowningSociety，weresurprisedaswellasimpressed：forfew，apparently，hadrealisedfromperusalthepoweroftheplayasmademanifestwhenacted。Thesecretofthisisthatthedrama，whenprivilyread，seemshardifnotheavyinitsdiction，andtobesoinornate，thoughbynomeanscorrespondinglysimple，astorenderanycomparisonbetweenitandthedramaticworkofShakespeareoutofthequestion。Butwhenacted，theartistryoftheplayisrevealed。
　　Itsintensenaturalnessisdueingreatparttothesternconcisionofthelines，wherenowordiswasted，whereeverysentenceisfraughtwiththeutmostitcanconvey。Theoutlineswhichdisturbedusbytheirvaguenessbecomemoreclear：inaword，weallseeinenactmentwhatonlyafewofuscandiscerninperusal。Theplayhasitsfaults，butscarcelythoseoflanguage，wherethedictionisnobleandrhythmic，becauseitis，sotospeak，thegenuinerindofthefruititenvelops。
　　Buttherearedramaticfaultsprimarily，intheextremeeconomyoftheauthorinthepresentmentofhis`dramatispersonae’，whoareembodiedabstractionsmonomaniacsofideas，assomeonehassaidofHugo’spersonagesratherthanmenasweare，withmanifoldcomplexitiesinendlessfrictionorfusion。Onecardinalfaultisthelackofhumour，whichtomymindistheparamountobjectiontoitspopularacceptance。Another，isthemisproportionatelengthofsomeofthespeeches。Onceagain，thereis，asinthegreaterportionofBrowning’slongerpoemsanddramas，abanefulequalityofemphasis。
　　TheconceptionofCharlesI。isnotonlyobviouslyweak，butstrangelyprejudicedadverselyforsokeenananalystofthesoulasBrowning。
　　Forwhatafellow-dramatistcallsthis“SunsetShadowofaKing“，nomanorwomancouldabaseeveryhopeandenergy。ShakespearewouldneverhavecommittedthecrucialmistakeofmakingCharlesthedespicabledeformityheisinBrowning’sdrama。Straffordhimselfdisappearstoosoon：
　　inthefourthactthereisthevacuumabhorredofdramaticpropriety。
　　Whenheagaincomesonthescene，thecharmispartlybroken。
　　Butwithaltheplayisoneofremarkablevigourandbeauty。
　　Itseemstomethattoomuchhasbeenwrittenagainstitonthescoreofitsmetricalrudeness。Thelinesarebeatoutbyahammer，butintheprocesstheyarewroughtclearofallneedlessalloy。
　　Tourge，ashasbeenlatelyurged，thatitlacksallhumantouchandisamereintellectualfanfaronade，andthatthereisnotoncealineofpoignantinsight，isaltogetheruncritical。Readersofthismindmusthaveforgottenorbeindifferenttothoselines，forexample，wherethewretchedCharlesstammeringlyexcuseshimselftohisloyalministerforhisdeath-warrant，cryingoutthatitwaswrungfromhim，andbeggingStraffordnottocursehim：or，again，thatwonderfullysignificantline，sofullofatootardyknowledgeandofconcentratedscorn，whereStraffordfirstbegsthekingto“begoodtohischildren，“
　　andthen，withacontemptthatisalmostsublime，implores，“Stay，sir，donotpromise，donotswear!“Thewholeofthesecondsceneinthefifthactispuregenius。Thereader，orspectator，knowsbythistimethatallhopeisover：thatStrafford，thoughallunaware，isbetrayedandundone。Itisasubtledramaticruse，thatofBrowning’srepresentinghimsittinginhisapartmentintheTowerwithhisyoungchildren，WilliamandAnne，blithelysinging。
　　CanonereadandeverforgetthelinesgivingthegayItalianrhyme，withtheboy’spicturesquelychildishprose-accompaniment？
　　Straffordisseated，wearyanddistraught：
　　“`Obell’andarePerbarcainmare，VersolaseraDiPrimavera!’
　　William。Theboat’sinthebroadmoonlightallthiswhile
　　`VersolaseraDiPrimavera!’
　　AndtheboatshootsfromunderneaththemoonIntotheshadowydistance；onlystillYouhearthedippingoar
　　`Versolasera，’
　　Andfaint，andfainter，andthenall’squitegone，Musicandlightandall，likealoststar。
　　Anne。Butyoushouldsleep，father：youweretosleep。
　　Strafford。Idosleep，Anne；orifnotyoumustknowThere’ssuchathingas……
　　William。You’retootiredtosleep。
　　Strafford。Itwillcomeby-and-byandalldaylong，InthatoldquiethouseItoldyouof：
　　Wesleepsafethere。
　　Anne。WhynotinIreland？
　　Strafford。No!
　　Toomanydreams!“
　　Tomethischildren’s-songandthefleetingandnowplaintiveechoofit，as“VoicesfromWithin““Versolasera，DiPrimavera“
　　intheterriblescenewhereStraffordlearnshisdoom，isonlytobeparalleledbythesongofMarianain“MeasureforMeasure“，wherein，likewise，isabducedinonethrillingpoignantstrainthequintessentialpartofthetenselifeofthewholeplay。
　　SomuchhasbeenwrittenconcerningthedramasofRobertBrowning
　　thoughindeedthereisstillroomforavolumeofcarefulcriticism，dealingsolelywiththisthemethatIhavethelessregretinhavingsoinadequatelytopassinreviewworksofsuchpoeticmagnitudeasthoseenumeratedabove。
　　Butitwouldbeimpossible，insosmallabookasthis，toexaminethemindetailwithoutincurringajustchargeofmisproportion。
　　Thegreatnessandtheshortcomingsofthedramasanddramaticpoemsmustbenotedassuccinctlyaspracticable；andIhavedweltmoreliberallyupon“Pauline“，“Paracelsus“，and“Strafford“，partlybecausecertainlywithoutmorethanoneexception，“Sordello“
　　thesearethethreeleastreadofBrowning’spoems，partlybecausetheyindicatethesweepandreachofhisfirstorienteagle-flightthroughnewmorning-skies，andmainlybecauseinthemwealreadyfindBrowningathisbestandathisweakest，becauseinthemwehearnotonlytherushofhissunlitpinions，butalsothelowearthwardsurgeofdullardwings。
　　Browningisforeshadowedinhisearliestwritings，asperhapsnootherpoethasbeentolikeextent。Inthe“VenusandAdonis“，andthe“RapeofLucrece“，wehavebutthedimmestforeviewoftheauthorof“Hamlet“，“Othello“，and“Macbeth“；hadShakespearediedprematurelynonecouldhavepredicted，fromtheexquisiteblossomsofhisadolescence，theimmortalfruitofhismaturity。But，inBrowning’sthreeearliestworks，weclearlydiscernhim，asthesculptorofMelosprevisionedhisVenusintherough-hewnblock。
　　Thenceforth，tochangetheimagery，hedevelopedrapidlyuponthesamelines，ordoubleduponhimselfinintricaterevolutions；butalreadyhislineoflife，hispoeticparallel，wasdefinitelyestablished。
　　IntheconsiderationofBrowning’sdramasitisneedfultobesureofone’svantageforjudgment。ThefirststeptowardsthisassuranceistheablationofthechronicShakespeariancomparison。Primarily，theshapingspiritofthetimewroughtShakespeareandBrowningtoradicallydivergentmethodsofexpression，buteachtoamethodinprofoundharmonywiththedominantsentimentoftheageinwhichhelived。
　　Aboveallothers，theElizabethanerawasrichinromanticadventure，ofthemindaswellasofthebody，andaboveallothers，savethatoftheRenaissanceinItaly，animatedbyapassionatecuriosity。
　　So，too，supremely，theVictorianerahasbeenprolificofnovelandvastTitanicstrugglesofthehumanspirittoreachthoseGatesofTruthwhoseloweststepsarethescarcediscerniblestarsandfurthestsunswescan，bypilingOssasofsearchingspeculationuponPelionsofhardly-wonpositiveknowledge。ThehighestexemplaroftheformerisShakespeare，Browningtheprofoundestinterpreterofthelatter。
　　Toachievesupremacytheonehadtocreateathrobbingactuality，aworldofkeenestliving，ofactsandintervolvedsituationsandepisodes：
　　theothertofashionamentalitysopassionatelyalivethatitsmanifoldphasesshouldhavealltherealityofconcreteindividualities。Theonerevealsindividuallifetousbytheplayofcircumstance，theinteractionofevents，thecorrelativeeductionofpersonalcharacteristics：
　　theotherbyhisapprehensionofthatquintessentialmovementormoodorphasewhereinthesoulistransitorilyvisibleonitslonelypinnacleoflight。
　　Theelderpoetrevealslifetousbythesheervividnessofhisownvision：
　　theyounger，byanewer，alesspicturesquebutmorescientificabduction，compelsthecomplexrayingsofeachsoul-startoasingularsimplicity，asbythespectrumanalysis。Theone，again，fulfilshisaimbyabroadsynthesisbaseduponthevividobservanceandselectionofvitaldetails：theotherbyanextraordinaryacutepsychicanalysis。
　　Inaword，Shakespeareworksaswiththeclayofhumanaction：
　　Browningaswiththeclayofhumanthought。
　　Asforthedifferenceinvalueofthetwomethodsitisuselesstodogmatise。
　　Thepsychicportraitureproducedbyeitherisvaluableonlysofarasitisconvincinglytrue。