Question

Can the poem The Patriot be considered a dramatic monologue? Justify.

Answer 1

Dramatic monologue refers to a type of poetry and Robert Browning is master in it. It is a “mono-drama in verse”. Like many other dramatic monologues of Browning “Patriot into Traitor” is also a fine example of this genre because it has a single speaker, a silent  audience and dramatic situation.
Firstly, the poem has a solitary speaker who is patently not the poet. He is an erstwhile worshipful leader who is receiving unearned punishment. In this critical situation, he is freely giving vent to his feelings to reveal the inner working of his mind. He is, in fact, “a soul in action”.
Secondly, the poem has a silent audience. There is no dialogue between the speaker and the audience. This audience consists of people who adore or abhor someone unexpectedly. This implied presence of an auditor distinguishes this dramatic monologue from a soliloquy in which the speaker is alone.
Thirdly, the poem presents a tragic dramatic situation. It invokes in us feelings of pity, fear and relief called catharsis. The leader’s downfall excites feelings of pity in us. We fear because we recognize similar possibilities in us. However, the leader’s belief, “Tis God shall repay: I am safer so” gives us relief.