In fact, this was the beginning of what became known as Method Acting, and this form of acting became one of the most popular in the world. Thus, Duse created a new form of acting that still endures long after her death.

Of course, this style of acting did not develop overnight. Writer Sobel continues, "Duse's powerful stage presence may have made her work look like an effortless, natural gift, but as with any great artist, this seeming ease was entirely built on her early years of arduous and at times grueling, unrelenting study of technique and craft" (Sobel). She had to appear more mature and older than her years when she acted as a child, and she continued to develop her techniques throughout her life.

In her personal life, Duse was the long-time lover of Gabriele d'Annunzio, an Italian poet and dramatist, who wrote some of her best parts....
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