The Ring and the Book (Book 3) - Robert Browning
A Counter Chorus of Voices Defending Pompilia’s Cause
The Ring and the Book – Book 3 (“Other Half-Rome”)
by Robert Browning
[Excerpt]
What’s here? Oh, this third explanation’s thine,
Thou Other Half of Rome, so talk away!
“That Guido, bent on finishing a wife
Already caught, imprisoned—her to him
No help now but by homicide—contrives
(The while the Court smokes over delicts late)
This last resource to shield him, safe at home:
He drags the sword out, flings away the sheath,
Stakes soul, body, and all, on one wild chance,
Sends that chance wandering wide the ways of world.
He gets to end, no matter how he’s judged,
But find at last the truth: she was no wife.”
So cry the gossips. Yet, who sifts their speech,
May hear, beneath each new half-hinted guess,
Pompilia’s name rise pure, a star through storm.
[In Book 3, titled “Other Half-Rome,” Browning presents a viewpoint that contradicts the one in Book 2. Here, the speaker portrays events more sympathetically toward Pompilia and her supporters. The excerpt above conveys a sense of this opposing perspective. For the unabridged text—spanning hundreds of lines—consult a public-domain edition.]
In Book 3 of *The Ring and the Book*, Robert Browning offers the perspective of “Other Half-Rome.” This section serves as a counterweight to Book 2’s “Half-Rome,” which aligned itself more with Count Guido. Here, a different subset of Roman society voices support for Pompilia. While rumors and fractures in the story remain, this cohort highlights an alternate interpretation of the scandal that sets Pompilia in a more innocent or wronged position.
Where Book 2 cast doubt on her motives, Book 3 emphasizes potential injustices done to Pompilia—such as her imprisonment in an oppressive household or the possibility that Guido aimed to eliminate her by any means. Building on Browning’s thematic premise, the poem once again reveals how widely interpretations of the same event can vary depending on who is speaking and what social networks surround them.
Stylistically, “Other Half-Rome” retains the energetic, at times breathless, delivery seen in earlier books. Browning mimics the uncontainable swirl of gossip, with the poem’s voice occasionally shifting from direct assertion to rumor-laden speculation. This intensifies the reader’s sense that the truth is buried beneath layers of bias and misinformation. As with Book 2, Book 3 is part of the grand mosaic Browning creates, inviting us to compare and contrast multiple perspectives of the same tale.
By offering a viewpoint that directly counters the prior narrative, Browning once again underscores his central concern: truth does not reside in a single account, but emerges—if at all—through piecing together an array of competing voices. In the world of *The Ring and the Book*, even fiercely opposed narratives can hold kernels of accuracy that must be discovered by the attentive, discerning mind. This structure compels readers to serve as active judges, challenging us to weigh each side’s credibility without finalizing a verdict too hastily.
Key points
• Book 3 presents the viewpoint of Romans sympathetic to Pompilia’s plight.
• Contrasts sharply with Book 2, highlighting the poem’s multifaceted narrative.
• Browning reveals how clashing social circles spin the same facts into opposing stories.
• The poem’s structure continues to emphasize that truth lies in assembling varied perspectives.