Influenced by German thought, Carlyle proposes that man is naturally conditioned towards hero-worship, and there are certain men in the world appointed by God to guide mankind, and the best societies are those led by these men. These heroes can appear in various roles such as prophet, priest, king, and poet. Most of Carlyle's works are concerned with the examination of the development, duties, and effect of heroes. Carlyle's views have been influenced by Hegel concerning the relationship between master and slave. From Hegel's point of view the personality of the master is selfish, and his physical and emotional independence is satisfied through the use of the salve. This relationship functions because the essence of the slave's personality is essentially completed through servitude. By assigning the role of the master to God, Carlyle neutralizes the negative associations of this relationship. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, one of these heroes was Robert Browning, the famous English poet.