Perfection is what many people try to achieve in their lives, but none succeed. It is the ideal result of the hard work and toil that every person puts in to become greater than he or she currently is. In literature, characters may seem perfect, but upon closer inspection, they are deeply flawed. This is the case in all three literary works; Oedipus the King, my last duchess and death of a salesman. All three prove that “perfection is like a dream.” When people finally see the flaws, they wake up and the dream ends. “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is a haunting poem that tells the story of a seemingly perfect wife who dies, then is immortalized in a picture by her loving kind and husband. This seems like the perfect family that a tragic accident destroyed. Upon further investigation and dissection of the poem, we discover the imperfections and this perfect "dream family" is shown for what it really was, a trustless relationship. The deceased wife seemed completely perfect and caring. She smiled at everyone she spoke to, as a kind woman should (My Last Duchess, lines 43-45). She also seems to be a very happy and cheerful woman, without flaws (My Last Duchess, lines 13-15). She was a beautiful soul who seemed to love everyone, which is why she was not as perfect as she appeared to the world. Her imperfection was that she was too nice, to the point of making her husband jealous of others. who she spoke to. She always accepted people's gifts with the same kindness she used when her husband asked her to marry him (My Last Duchess, lines 32-35). The perfect wife would have placed her marriage above everything else, which apparently is not the case. She didn't seem to appreciate ...... middle of paper ...... conducted under the close inspection they were given. This proves the fact that “perfection is like a dream.” When people finally see the flaws, they wake up and the dream ends. » Works cited by Gioia, Dana and XJ Kennedy. “My last duchess.” Literature: introduction to fiction, poetry, theater and writing, compact edition, interactive edition. 5th ed. New York: Pearson; Longman Editions, 2007. 432-433. Print.Gioia, Dana and XJ Kennedy. Literature "Death of a Salesman": an introduction to fiction, poetry, theater and writing, compact edition, interactive edition. 5th ed. New York: Pearson; Longman Editions, 2007. 1212-1280. Print.Gioia, Dana and XJ Kennedy. “Oedipus the King.” Literature: introduction to fiction, poetry, theater and writing, compact edition, interactive edition. 5th ed. New York: Pearson; Longman Editions, 2007. 887-924. Print.