Rhetorical Questions In My Last Duchess By Robert Browning

In the story “My last Duchess,” the Duke is speaking to the envoy of another nobleman of his second bride to be. The Duke describes the circumstances of his last duchess in which it was painted and boasted how Fra Pandolf the painter made her “look as if she was alive”. The Duke continues speaking about the unfortunate fate of his former wife. It is evident that a crime has been committed; He was jealous and annoyed of his easily impressed wife so he murdered her. His tone and demeanor is one of extreme arrogance and it is clear he is a dangerous man who poses a threat to any and all women he claims to love.

One of the most important and game-changing rhetorical strategies Browning uses in her letter is pathos. Browning really tries to glorify Napoleon. Throughout her

was pleased by all men, and the Duke was struggling to find a way to

The first strategy used by Browning is to feed into Napoleon’s ego. She does this by first addressing him as “sire” before getting to the point of her letter. As the final few words to the letter, she leaves him with a last thought. The poet claims, “I have trusted you for doing greatly. I will trust you besides for pardoning nobly.” This acknowledges the greater status that Napoleon holds compared to Browning’s status of a lowly female poet, which she repeatedly reminds him of.

“That’s my last Duchess, painted on the wall...Will’t please you sit and look at her? ...since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you.” Later in the poem, the reader realizes s/he is an emissary of a potential marriage. Being a dramatic monologue, the reader gets a front row seat to Alfonso’s shift in motive and attitude. The reader initially is led to believe Alfonso adored his late wife by the way he originally describes the fresco, “I call that piece a wonder...the depth and passion of its earnest glance...how such a [flattering] glance came there.” Later in the poem, however, the reader realizes Alfonso’s true feelings toward Medici by the way he tells the emissary of her personality. Listening from the emissary’s point of view makes the poem more interactive because it’s almost like Alfonso is having a personal conversation with the reader. It also makes the poem more mysterious because the reader doesn’t know if Alfonso is a “reliable” character—the reader only knows what Alfonso has told him or her (the emissary). By putting the reader in this position, Browning suggests that the emissary would have had the same opinions on objectification (arranged marriage, obsession with status) as Alfonso did; otherwise, why would he have said, “I gave

In "My Last Duchess", by Robert Browning, the character of Duke is portrayed as having controlling, jealous, and arrogant traits. These traits are not all mentioned verbally, but mainly through his actions. In the beginning of the poem the painting of the Dukes wife is introduced to us: "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,/ looking as of she were still alive" (1-2). These lines leave us with the suspicion that the Duchess is no longer alive, but at this point were are not totally sure. In this essay I will discuss the Dukes controlling, jealous and arrogant traits he possesses through out the poem.

The Duke of Ferrara is a character and the speaker in the poem “My Last Duchess,” by Robert Browning. The reader witnesses a man that is controlling and whom will destroy anything that he cannot control. One realizes immediately, the extent of the Duke’s need for power in the title and in the first line when he uses the term “My” which shows ownership (Browning). The Duke cannot control the Duchess’s “spot of joy,” (Browning line 21) therefore; he commands to have her killed (Browning line 45). He still feels the need to control the Duchess, even after death. This control is revealed when he opens the curtain and declares, “(since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)” (Browning line 9-10). The Duke is speaking to a

Throughout the poem, many hints and clues are given that show dysfunction in the Duke’s and Duchess’ relationship. The Duke and Duchess have a failing relationship because of childlessness and lack of communication (Hawlin 146). Browning’s Duke is based off of the real Duke of Ferrara who never had any children (Gardner “Duke” 169). Not only as a man but as a duke with a age-old family name, not providing an heir would be shaming. If the Duchess is “fooling around”, Gardner claims that the Duke reveals his impotence

The Duke asks him questions but he does not allow him to answer so they quickly become rhetorical, for instance, when the Duke states ‘Will 't please you sit and look at her?’ Likewise, Browning uses the form of a dramatic monologue to portray the Duke’s controlling nature by only allowing himself to speak. By not allowing the emissary to speak he is also controlling (or trying to) the emissary's perception

Response to Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is an aesthetic monologue about the Duke of Ferrara’s painting of his late wife. The Duke is meeting with his potential new wife’s family to discuss his marrying the Count’s daughter. While giving a tour of his estate the Duke shows the family his painting of his late wife, the Duchess.

The melody of “My Last Duchess” is the battle between the so-called elite culture of the upper class and the vindictive behavior of the duke of Farrar. However, the sarcasm in this poem is how often the subject of love occurs throughout the duke’s sermon he is conveying to another nobleman. The duke reveals himself not only as a model of culture but as a master of

The Duke’s charismatic way of presenting himself, combined with his word phrasing consequently enables him to appear less as a monster in regards of his actions. Despite ordering for his wife to be murdered, the Duke is somewhat charming, both in his address and use of language. This contrast of character and actions not only reflects on Browning’s style of writing – but also presents the Duke in a conflicting

If we look at the two males of the poems, it is clear both yearn for a

She died at the age of 17. In this poem, the Duke is now looking for a

Robert Browning had lifelong aspirations for poetry, but struggled with establishing his own voice in his works. He regarded himself as writing under a mask, through which he could take on the unique voices of his characters while shrouding his own voice. Robert Browning was raised as the only son of affluent parents, who denied him none of life’s pleasures. Superficially, two of his protagonists, the Duke and the Bishop, resemble this aspect of Browning, taking pride in the wealth they have amassed over their respective lifetimes and relishing any opportunity to boast their wealth to others. Later in life, Browning married poet Elizabeth Barrett, who was physically an invalid, but far more renowned as a poet than he was. Browning was so devoted to his wife, and their son, Pen, that he only wrote a single poem within the first three years of his marriage. Although there is little reason to doubt that his loving relationship with his wife was genuine, Robert Browning may have drawn upon his own feelings of inadequacy in regards to his writing, taking on the ‘masks’ of different character’s voices in order to express the darker parts of his nature.