Laboratory - Poem (dramatic monologue ) Robert Browning

1.       Why does the speaker call the laboratory the “devil’s smithy”? What is the motive behind her visit to that place?  The speaker of the dramatic monologue titled ‘The Laboratory: Ancien Regime’ written by Robert Browning is a danseuse. She has come to the laboratory of the old chemist to order for deadly poison. She is a revengeful woman who wants to kill the new girl friend of her husband. She calls the laboratory the “devil’s smithy” because the old chemist misuses his precious scientific knowledge to make poisons and weapons for destructive purpose. It is the work of a devil.

2.       Why does she say that the poison in the phial is sure to taste sweetly?  The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a famous danseuse who says that the poison in the phial is  sure to taste sweetly because its colour is bright blue which is very attractive. So she thinks that the poison is sure to taste sweetly.

3.       How does the woman propose to  kill Pauline and Elize? The woman narrator in the dramatic  monologue bears devilish character and that is why she has decided to murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. The famous danseuse will give Pauline a poisoned lozenge (sweet) and in thirty minutes she will be dead. As for Elize, the narrator will kill her with a pastille. When the pastille is lighted, the poisoned smoke will kill her.

4.       “She’s not little, no minion like me!” What makes the speaker pass such a comment on her rival? The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a revengeful woman who wants to  murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. Speaking about her arch rival, the narrator says that her husband’s girl friend is tall and beautiful but the narrator is not so charming and this is why her husband was entrapped by the girl friend.

5.       What intentions must have prompted the chemist to prepare the poison according to the speaker’s wish? There are only two main characters in the dramatic monologue titled ‘Laboratory’ written by Robert Browning. The narrator is the famous danseuse and the silent listener is the old chemist. Both are wicked characters. The old man is greedy for wealth and sex. He misuses his precious chemical technology for making poisonous weapons to kill people. He is prompted to prepare the poison to achieve two desires, wealth and sex with the danseuse. This is why she tells him in the end of the poem to gorge gold and jewels to his fill and if he wants, he can kiss her on her mouth indicating sex with her.

6.       ESSAY:  Comment on the character of the old chemist as the silent listener in ‘Laboratory’

OR         Discuss how Browning performs a psychological dissection of the woman’s character through his dramatic monologue ‘The Laboratory’

Robert Browning the great Victorian poet of English literature is the master of a new genre of poetry called ‘dramatic monologue’. His masterpiece is ‘ My Last Duchess”. Browning was followed by Alfred Lord Tennyson and others perfected this form. ‘Ulysses’ and ‘Tithonus’ are the best examples for Tennyson’s dramatic monologues. Dramatic monologues begin with certain urgency and a critical situation and there is only one narrator and other characters are silent listeners. When the narrator speaks, the readers get a clear picture of his/her character and also the qualities, merits and defects in their characters of the listeners

In ‘The Laboratory’, the narrator is a famous danseuse and she has come to the laboratory of an old chemist, while hundreds of people are waiting at the palace of the King to enjoy her dance performance! . The poem is an exploration of a vengeful woman’s psyche. She is betrayed by her husband because of her own wicked character. She is extremely possessive, selfish and cruel.

 But she is worried about making poison to kill her rivals. She orders the chemist to make poisonous tools to kill the girl friends of her husband. She may be a victim of unrequited love. But she has chosen the wrong path to settle her problem. Instead of going to church and pray, she came to ‘the devil’s smithy’ to make deadly poison to kill her rival. She says that her rival is stronger, taller and more beautiful than her. This is why her husband is entrapped by her seductive charm. She tells the old scientist to give her rival maximum pain and the pain of death must be reflected on her face and it is also a punishment for her husband that he would not forget the dying face of his new girlfriend. The narrator offers enough gold, wealth and even allows the old chemist to kiss her on his mouth indicating sex with him.

 As soon as the poisonous tools are ready, the narrator asks the chemist to remove her glass mask and shake off all the dust and chemicals her dress because she is in a hurry to go to the palace of the King to perform her dance. The narrator has been abundantly blessed by God by giving her dancing skill. But alas! This wicked woman is more interested in killing her rivals and punishing her husband. She has no moral values. She says the if she were the owner of the laboratory with all its chemical equipment and the chemist, she would have been the happiest person in the world!

The character of the listening chemist is stranger than the character of the narrator. Even in his old age, he is greedy for wealth and sexual pleasures is very interesting and confusing. He finds pleasure in making deadly poisons and thereby killing people by misusing his precious scientific knowledge. He is selfish and morally corrupted.

 But we must admit the amazing power of his chemical knowledge! With the help of his poisonous tools, one can easily murder any number of people in complete safety. Thus the chemist helps criminals to commit crime without evidence or proof!  The old chemist makes poisonous earring, casket, signet, fan mount filigree basket, lozenge, pastille and sweet drinks.