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。