Mostpeoplewhosawtheperformanceof“Strafford“givenin1886，undertheauspicesoftheBrowningSociety，weresurprisedaswellasimpressed：forfew，apparently，hadrealisedfromperusalthepoweroftheplayasmademanifestwhenacted。Thesecretofthisisthatthedrama，whenprivilyread，seemshardifnotheavyinitsdiction，andtobesoinornate，thoughbynomeanscorrespondinglysimple，astorenderanycomparisonbetweenitandthedramaticworkofShakespeareoutofthequestion。Butwhenacted，theartistryoftheplayisrevealed。
Itsintensenaturalnessisdueingreatparttothesternconcisionofthelines，wherenowordiswasted，whereeverysentenceisfraughtwiththeutmostitcanconvey。Theoutlineswhichdisturbedusbytheirvaguenessbecomemoreclear：inaword，weallseeinenactmentwhatonlyafewofuscandiscerninperusal。Theplayhasitsfaults，butscarcelythoseoflanguage，wherethedictionisnobleandrhythmic，becauseitis，sotospeak，thegenuinerindofthefruititenvelops。
Buttherearedramaticfaultsprimarily，intheextremeeconomyoftheauthorinthepresentmentofhis`dramatispersonae’，whoareembodiedabstractionsmonomaniacsofideas，assomeonehassaidofHugo’spersonagesratherthanmenasweare，withmanifoldcomplexitiesinendlessfrictionorfusion。Onecardinalfaultisthelackofhumour，whichtomymindistheparamountobjectiontoitspopularacceptance。Another，isthemisproportionatelengthofsomeofthespeeches。Onceagain，thereis，asinthegreaterportionofBrowning’slongerpoemsanddramas，abanefulequalityofemphasis。
TheconceptionofCharlesI。isnotonlyobviouslyweak，butstrangelyprejudicedadverselyforsokeenananalystofthesoulasBrowning。
Forwhatafellow-dramatistcallsthis“SunsetShadowofaKing“，nomanorwomancouldabaseeveryhopeandenergy。ShakespearewouldneverhavecommittedthecrucialmistakeofmakingCharlesthedespicabledeformityheisinBrowning’sdrama。Straffordhimselfdisappearstoosoon：