The Laboratory Flashcards
What are 5 quotes from The Laboratory?
- “Tying thy glass mask tightly”
- “Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?”
- “He is with her, and they know that I know”
- “Brand, burn up, bite into its grace - He is sure to remember her dying face!”
- “You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will!”
What is the analysis for “Tying thy glass mask tightly”?
- This quote immediately establishes the chilling detachment and unsettling calm nature of the speaker. Rather than expressing fear, guilt, or moral hesitation, the narrator observes the deadly potion being created with clinical fascination, noting the visual detail of the “smokes” as if she were admiring a piece of art.
- The adjective “faint” suggests a quiet, almost gentle atmosphere, while “curling whitely” evokes an image of something pure and graceful, a disturbing contrast to the sinister intent behind it. This juxtaposition reinforces how comfortable and even mesmerised the narrator is by the process of creating poison, which reflects her cold-blooded, calculated state of mind. Her focus on the aesthetics of the scene, rather than the morality of her actions, reveals an emotional detachment and obsessive desire for control.
What is the analysis for “Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?”?
- Right from the start, the speaker’s tone in this line is unnervingly casual and almost playful, which adds to the sinister impact of her words. The plosive p’s in “poison to poison her” create a rhythmic emphasis on her intent to kill, while the word “prithee”, an old-fashioned, polite request, adds a chilling layer of irony.
- She is speaking to the apothecary as though she’s simply choosing a perfume, not a deadly substance, showing how normalised and acceptable violence has become in her mind. The juxtaposition between her refined language and her gruesome purpose reinforces Browning’s portrayal of a speaker who is both elegant and deeply disturbed.
What is the analysis for “He is with her, and they know that I know”?
- This line reveals the emotional side of the speaker’s rage and her deep sense of betrayal, jealousy, and humiliation. The short structure reflects her obsessive, spiralling thoughts, as she fixates on the affair and the idea that her rivals are deliberately flaunting their relationship in front of her.
- The repetition of “know” intensifies the emotional impact, suggesting that her knowledge of the affair is both painful and empowering; it gives her a motive, a justification, and perhaps a feeling of control in a situation where she’s otherwise powerless.
What is the analysis for “Brand, burn up, bite into its grace - He is sure to remember her dying face!”?
- In this highly emotive line, the speaker imagines the effects of the poison, showcasing her desire not only to kill but to do so in a way that leaves a permanent mark. The alliteration of “brand, burn, bite” creates a harsh, aggressive rhythm, emphasising the speaker’s violent fantasies. She wants the poison to be as beautiful as it is destructive, evident in her reference to its “grace.” The speaker wants her rival’s death to be unforgettable. The final part of the quote shows her obsessive focus on the man she desires, with her real aim being to haunt him through the death of another.
What is the analysis for “You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will!”?
- The final line of the poem delivers a shocking climax, revealing the speaker’s complete emotional surrender to her dark desires. Offering a kiss to the apothecary, an old man who has just assisted in preparing a murder weapon, is loaded with implications. It could be seen as a sarcastic reward, a moment of madness, or a sign of the speaker’s newfound sense of empowerment and liberation. This moment also reflects a kind of twisted sexual triumph, as though the act of revenge has awakened a disturbing pleasure within her.
- The line exposes the depth of her moral decay and explores how jealousy and wounded pride can drive individuals to horrifying actions, all while masking them beneath the calm, composed language.
What are the key structural elements within The Laboratory?
The structure of “The Laboratory” consists of quatrains made up of rhyming couplets. This format includes 12 four-line stanzas with a consistent AABB rhyme scheme and is primarily written in iambic tetrameter.
What is the context surrounding The Laboratory?
- In 1666, Maria Madeline Marguerite, a young woman born into a noble family, was accused of attempting to poison her father and brothers to inherit their fortune. Her knowledge of herbs, once seen as a useful skill, became a dangerous mark of suspicion, turning her into a target for accusations of witchcraft. In the harsh grip of the “water cure”, a torture technique, Maria’s confession was wrung from her, though it remains unclear whether it was born of true guilt or the agony of her suffering. Once condemned as a witch, she was publicly beheaded, her body burned at the stake in a cruel attempt to cleanse her memory from the earth. Her death mirrored the power of superstition and patriarchy that consumed women who dared to step outside their prescribed roles. Her story resonates with the dark ambition and moral corruption explored in The Laboratory. Much like the speaker in Browning’s poem, who desires to concoct a poison to destroy her rival, Maria’s actions, whether driven by greed or desperation, reflect a similarly dangerous longing for power and control.
How does Porphyria’s Lover relate to The Laboratory?
Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning is a closely related dramatic monologue that, like The Laboratory, delves into themes of obsession, possessiveness, and the blurred line between love and violence. Both poems feature psychologically unstable narrators who justify their dark actions, revealing the disturbing inner workings of the human mind. The intense emotional tone and chilling calmness with which the murders are described create an unsettling parallel between the two poems.
How does MacBeth relate to The Laboratory?
Macbeth by William Shakespeare explores ambition, power, and guilt, all of which are core themes that resonate strongly with The Laboratory. The character of Lady Macbeth, in particular, mirrors the speaker’s cold calculation and willingness to manipulate death to achieve personal aims.
How does My Last Duchess relate to The Laboratory?
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning shares many thematic and structural similarities with The Laboratory, as both are dramatic monologues that reveal the psychology of a disturbed speaker. In My Last Duchess, the Duke calmly describes the murder of his wife, just as the speaker in The Laboratory coldly plans the poisoning of her rival. Both narrators display an unsettling sense of control and entitlement, particularly over the lives of women, and use language to justify their actions. The poems expose how love, jealousy, and power can become fatally entwined, and how societal structures, especially those surrounding gender and class, can mask violence behind civility and status. The use of dramatic monologue in both poems invites readers to witness the manipulation and madness of the speaker from within, making the comparison especially rich for analysis.
What are 3 critical interpretations of The Laboratory?
- “Browning gives voice to a woman who refuses to be passive, reshaping the Victorian ideal of femininity into something vengeful and terrifying.” - Isobel Armstrong
- “There is a dreadful glee in the speaker’s voice, a theatrical intensity that masks the horror of what is really happening.” - Barbara Everett
- “The poem explores how suppressed desire and social constraint can erupt into violence when denied legitimate expression.” - Simon Avery
