The inspiration for Browning's poem thus springs from no sincere emotion, not even from genuine madness: it is a convenience and a folly, a sane man's approximation of what madness might look like.

But they are still not sure whether their general is a madman or a genius.

There will be stories about famous redheads: Vincent van Gogh, William Shakespeare, Woody Allen and Lucille Ball, thus illustrating the fine line between genius and insanity.