My Last Duchess Essay

The narrator (Duke) who is of an upper-class is having a conversation with an envoy when he mentions ‘Will’t please you sit and look at her?’. This shows the Duke’s commanding nature as he almost forces the envoy to look at his painting although he uses a question it is rhetorical (envoys do not reply) and it shows how the Duke has power. Also, the Duke’s power is emphasized as he chooses who can see the painting ‘since none puts by the curtain I have drawn’. This gives him a sense of importance. Browning also writes ‘she ranked my gift…with anybody’s gift’. This shows that the Duke believes that names and status hold importance, power even and he expects the ‘name’ of Duchess will be enough for her but she treats everyone the same, this angers him. Throughout the poem the Duke says that he does not have ‘skill in speech’ which from the poem we can see is false. When discussing his lack of skill he says ‘which I have not’, This shows the power in words and ultimately how he couldn’t stop her with his words because he would have ‘to stoop’ he used a different way to fix his problem. Also, he says ‘I choose never to stoop’. The ‘I choose’ shows hierarchy as he has the choice. The use of the verb ‘stoop’ is interesting as it means to directly to bend one’s head, associating with the lower class or submitting yourself. This also shows the Duke’s commanding nature as he refuses to ‘stoop’ he

In "My Last Duchess," the speaker describes a specific painting to the reader. It is a portrait of the Duke's late wife. The speaker directs the reader's attention to the Duchess's passionate responses given not only to the Duke, but also to many other men who admire her beauty. The artist conveys this lady's charming and flirtatious personality. The Duchess had many admirers that competed for her attention. Her rare beauty and flirtatious manner attracted many admirers. Her facial features express her passion and gratitude towards the men that competed for her attention. She had a teasing and playful quality, which she used to make the Duke jealous of the men attracted to her beauty. The Duke spoke communicated his displeasure about her improper behavior. She continued to smile and attract the attention of

The poem “My Last Duchess” is a historical event that involves the Duke of Ferrara and Alfonso who lived in the 16th century. Robert Browning "My Last Duchess" presents a narrative about a recently widowed Duke who talks with an emissary had come to an arranged marriage with another lady from a powerful and wealthy family. In the perspective of Duke, power and wealth were integral in marriage and was determined to be married to a wealthy lady from a famous family. As the Duke orients the emissary through the palace, he stops and shows a portrait of the late Duchess who was a lovely and young girl. The Duke then begins by stating information about the picture and then to the Duchess. Duke claims that the Duchess flirted with everyone and did not appreciate the history of the family: “gift of a nine hundred years old name.”(33) However, when an individual continues to read the poem, it is evident that the Duke played an important role in killing the lady. Duke states that “he gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”(45-46) he used these words to define the death of his beloved Duchess. The aim of the essay is to analyze literary devices that emphasize the content of the poem, which includes rhetorical questions, exclamation mark, and em dash.

      Browning’s use of distinct imagery further creates the picture of the Duke as an

Browning closes My Last Duchess by establishing that envy can lead a person to commit extreme acts and hinder their- or someone else’s sanity. Browning uses characterization to exploit the character development of the duke and also enhance how envy can lead

“My Last Duchess,” by Robert Browning, depicts powerful husbands attempting to control the actions of their wives as they are free to do as they please. In contrast, women are expected to be faithful and attentive only to their husbands. The power and control of the Duke is conveyed by a painting of the Duchess. It belongs to the Duke and is referred to as “my last Duchess” (1). The use of “my” demonstrates the possessive nature of the Duke and his claim of the Duchess as his own personal possession, much like the painting itself. As the Duke persists on forcing domination upon the Duchess, he is greatly displeased to find that she treats and considers him as the same value as nearly any other man.

Duke is portrayed as being a very controlling gentleman. He thinks that no one but himself has the authority to

Indeed, it quickly becomes clear that the Duke disliked many things about his dead wife. The Duke dislikes how the Duchess liked everything that she saw, believing that she was “too easily impressed; she liked whate’er she looked on”. It disappoints him because he wanted to impress her with his marriage to her and also with his money and lifestyle. What annoyed the Duke most was that:

As a mental mechanism of self defense the speaker blamed the Duchess for the jealousy he had because of the way she thanked other men and in his mind the way she ranked his prestige to the gifts of others. In addition, by shifting the blame to her he was able to have her killed without having to feeling remorse and still maintain the jealousy he had towards anyone who views his beauty with eyes of desire. As the source of the speakers jealousy the woman was was used as a tool to convey the message of the poem, which was to show the reader how the innocent gratitude of Duchess woman was vied as a negative thing and converted to jealousy by the speakers own insecurities. In the end the use and significance of the painting was to symbolize the possessives the speaker had towards the woman's beauty and when he refers to another art work in the end of the poem this symbolizes how her beauty has become part of his

As well, Browning utilizes delayed responses in order to support his dramatic monologue. This, then, expands on the circumstances surrounding the Duchess’s death. As the Duke describes her countenance and penchant for having her “looks” everywhere (23-24), his charges against her begin mounting. However, allowing his guest and the audience gaze into this aspect of her life serves primarily to reveal him as an insecure man who abused his wife because she did not center his existence. Furthermore, as he discusses her smiles (43) and how he “gave commands” (45) to stop them, both his guest and his audience get the sense that this story is a veiled warning for his potential new bride. In particular, this assertion stems from the fact that he immediately addresses his guest about the terms under which he will marry the Count’s daughter. The Duke’s need for power is once again confirmed after

He tells how she was charming and that this portrait could not recount her love of everything, her blushing at the attention of men. He then leads into how she never quite appreciated him and how unimpressed she was with his “nine-hundred-years-old name.” From this, the reader begins to see the distant relationship between the Duke and his wife. This essay will talk about the theme of “My Last Duchess” and how Robert Browning uses rhyme and other metrical devices that supports the overall meaning of the poem.

In Browning’s “My Last Duchess”, The Duke of Ferrara speaks to an agent representing the count. The Duke begins by referring to “my last Duchess”, as he opens up a curtain to display a portrait of her hanging on the wall. Right away, this action shows the control the Duke has over The Duchess by being able to decide who can and cannot view the portrait of The Duchess. This idea is later proven in Lines 9-10, “Since none puts by - The curtain I have drawn for you, but I”. The Duke is letting the agent know that he is choosing to show him her painting. This makes it seem like a rare, and special event to allow The Duchess to be viewed by someone other than The Duke. By doing this, The Duke treats the portrait more of a sacred work of art.

So one could conclude that the duke is a character the reader prefers to identify him- or herself with, because he is such a refined, powerful man, even though he is not that refined

"My Last Duchess," is absolutely Browning's most famous dramatic monologue, with some good reason. It engages the reader on a number of levels – historical, psychological, ironic, theatrical, and more.

Clearly this gallery is for his own personal pleasure. Furthermore, he also stated that the design he sent in was through his choice on how he would like her to be painted. Through this the Duke reveals his need to control situations to fit his his own perspective or his own pleasure, which is a undesirable trait to be found in a husband.