142:
Mertoun on his way to an interview with
Mildred, and in his anger compelled him to fight a duel in which Mertoun, refusing to defend himself, is mortally wounded. Realizing at length his own harshness and injustice towards a boy who was penitent and eager to atone for his fault, Thorold exchanges forgiveness with Mertoun, and on his death, takes poison. He then goes to beg forgiveness of his sister who grants it and dies of a broken heart, closely followed by her brother. In dying he says that he leaves to Austin and Gwendolen an unblotted 'scutcheon.
138:
climb to
Mildred's chamber and informs his master, without being able to identify the intruder. Questioned by her brother, Mildred admits the truth of the story, but refuses to divulge her lover's name or to dismiss Earl Mertoun. Deeply wounded in his family pride, which is morbidly intense, Thorold is too emotionally stirred to infer that Mertoun and the lover are the same. Denouncing Mildred as a shameless woman he rushes into the park, where he wanders until midnight.
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Mildred
Tresham, only sister of Thorold, Earl Tresham, has been seduced by Henry, Earl Mertoun, whose lands adjoin those of her brother. Anxious to repair this wrong he formally requests her in marriage. Thorold, who knows nothing of his sister's fall, readily consents. But a retainer sees Mertoun
141:
Meanwhile, Mildred's cousin, Gwendolen, in a talk with
Mildred, has divined the identity of Mertoun and the offender, and with her fiancé and the earl’s brother, Austin Tresham, goes out to find Thorold and to persuade him to forgiveness. They are too late, however. At midnight Thorold encounters
226:
wrote enthusiastically of
Browning's play: " has thrown me into a perfect passion of sorrow … I know nothing that is so affecting, nothing in any book I have ever read, as Mildred's recurrence to that "I was so young—I had no mother."'
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The catastrophe has been criticised as not inevitable and the speeches as too analytical for the stage, but the pathos and tragic power of this drama have also received praise.
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Browning's dramatic period extended from 1835 to the time of his marriage in 1846, and produced some nine plays, not all of which, however, were intended for the stage.
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162:, though it has been staged, is essentially a poem to read. The historical tragedy of
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198:, while interesting in many ways, have not been regarded as successful stage-plays.
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in 1843, but its chances of a successful run were spoiled by the jealousy of
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364:. Vol. 18. New York: P. F. Collier & Son Corporation. pp. 358–404.
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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861:
Parleyings with
Certain People of Importance in Their Day
414:"Browning, Robert, English poet and dramatist (1812–89)"
895:
Clasped Hands of Robert and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
209:
was published in 1843 as the fifth number (No. V) of
889:Armstrong Browning Library, collections and papers
338:"Browning's "A Blot in the 'Scutcheon": A Defence"
95:, published in 1843 and acted in the same year.
965:
691:How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix
472:Miller, Renata Kobetts, ed. (15 November 2017).
780:Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Saviour of Society
403:"Robert Browning and A Blot in the 'Scutcheon"
499:
425:"A Blot in the 'Scutcheon: A Literary Notice"
816:Pacchiarotto, and How He Worked in Distemper
474:"Robert Browning, A Blot in the 'Scutcheon"
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330:The Oxford Companion to English Literature
418:The Oxford Reader's Companion to Dickens
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731:Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came
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624:Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession
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388:New York: The Macmillan Co. p. 95.
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429:Studies in Browning and His Circle
333:. 7th ed. Oxford University Press.
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990:
671:Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister
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259:
604:
389:
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647:Johannes Agricola in Meditation
478:The Independent Theatre Society
336:Clarke, George Herbert (1920).
903:The Barretts of Wimpole Street
454:""The Blot in the 'Scutcheon""
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287:
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1:
253:
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796:Red Cotton Night-Cap Country
710:Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day
682:Dramatic Romances and Lyrics
546:King Victor and King Charles
384:The Reader's Digest of Books
245:
171:King Victor and King Charles
16:1843 play by Robert Browning
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416:. In Schlicke, Paul (ed.).
379:"Blot in the 'Scutcheon, A"
325:"Blot in the 'Scutcheon, A"
132:
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937:Elizabeth Barrett Browning
823:The Agamemnon of Aeschylus
687:Home-Thoughts, from Abroad
442:"A Blot in the 'Scutcheon"
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377:Keller, Helen Rex (1924).
323:Birch, Dinah, ed. (2009).
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230:The play was performed at
222:, dated 25 November 1842,
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420:. Oxford University Press
352:"A Blot in the Scutcheon"
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974:Plays by Robert Browning
833:The Two Poets of Croisic
562:A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
554:The Return of the Druses
480:. Accessed 13 July 2022.
450:. 1 February 1891. p. 1.
401:Reese, Gertrude (1948).
284:Eliot, ed. 1909, p. 358.
207:A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
177:The Return of the Druses
168:has been performed, but
80:A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
24:A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
945:Robert Barrett Browning
773:Balaustion's Adventure
743:A Toccata of Galuppi's
723:"Love Among the Ruins"
412:Roberts, Adam (2011).
348:Eliot, Charles William
212:Bells and Pomegranates
121:and other retainers of
921:Pied Piper of Hamelin
803:Aristophanes' Apology
766:The Ring and the Book
462:. 16 June 1893. p. 3.
447:The Pall Mall Gazette
423:Vann, J. Don (1979).
409:, 63(4): pp. 237–240.
407:Modern Language Notes
344:, 28(2): pp. 213–227.
107:Thorold, Earl Tresham
759:Caliban upon Setebos
362:The Harvard Classics
357:Modern English Drama
311:Clarke 1920, p. 213.
854:Ferishtah's Fancies
272:Keller 1924, p. 95.
110:Henry, Earl Mertoun
788:Fifine at the Fair
614:Poetry collections
570:Colombe's Birthday
431:, 7(2): pp. 68–70.
342:The Sewanee Review
183:Colombe's Birthday
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640:Porphyria's Lover
113:Guendolen Tresham
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898:(1853 sculpture)
884:Browning Society
750:Dramatis Personæ
735:Andrea del Sarto
695:Meeting at Night
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930:Family life
727:Evelyn Hope
242:, in 1848.
202:Performance
89:blank verse
979:1843 plays
968:Categories
953:Casa Guidi
829:La Saisiaz
632:Paracelsus
254:References
232:Drury Lane
153:Paracelsus
146:Background
99:Characters
51:Drury Lane
29:Written by
914:1957 film
909:1934 film
846:Jocoseria
616:and poems
530:Strafford
459:The Globe
246:Reception
165:Strafford
128:Time, 17—
867:Asolando
769:(1868–9)
753:(1864, "
685:(1845, "
665:(1842, "
654:Sordello
649:" (1836)
642:" (1836)
133:Synopsis
119:Gerard,
877:Related
721:(1855,
436:Reviews
318:Sources
85:tragedy
71:Tragedy
61:English
940:(wife)
869:(1889)
863:(1887)
857:(1884)
849:(1883)
835:(1878)
825:(1877)
819:(1876)
811:(1875)
805:(1875)
799:(1873)
791:(1872)
783:(1871)
775:(1871)
713:(1850)
657:(1840)
635:(1835)
627:(1833)
597:(1855)
589:(1846)
581:(1846)
573:(1844)
565:(1843)
557:(1843)
549:(1842)
541:(1841)
533:(1837)
192:, and
948:(son)
578:Luria
522:Plays
327:. In
195:Luria
83:is a
67:Genre
831:and
757:", "
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729:", "
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42:1843
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215:.
91:by
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277:^
261:^
186:,
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638:"
507:e
500:t
493:v
398:.
386:.
374:.
359:.
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