In Robert Browning’s poem, My Last Duchess, is about a conversation surrounding a portrait. The focus swirls around the untimely death of the duchess, Alfonso II last wife, because of some impropriety. She looks alive, and the duke attributes this to the skill of the painter, Frà Pandolf. This serves to remind the reader that the duke does not approve of the way the duchess handled herself. Evidently, the duke does not approve of the zest for life that the duchess exhibited. He of course compliments
infidelity were weaved through the readings this week. In “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, the speaker is a Duke who is looking at a painting of his last (now deceased) Duchess and remembering her. His memories are not fond; he was jealous and possessive, and frankly, a bit of a drama queen. His suspicion is evident repeatedly, starting in line 13 where he states, “Sir, ‘twas not/ Her husband’s presence only, called that spot/ Of joy into the duchess’ cheek”. Lines 21-24 boldly say what he was alluding
While rewriting “My Last Duchess”, I went back and forth trying to decide whose point of view to write it from, but finally decided to write it from the servants point of view. I chose this character, because the servant is the only one in the narrative who closely experiences the Duke after he kills the Duchess. By writing it from the servant point of view, we can see still see how the Duke’s mental health is questionable, but yet it adds more depth to it, as we gain this knowledge from someone
alluring vivacity which is beautiful to some, but some people view women’s vivacity as a rare object that should be conquered rather than cared for. In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke’s interaction with the last Duchess represents the value of women during the 19th century. The characterization of the speaker, the Duke, and the speaker’s analysis of the Duchess, the reader notes that one of the main downfalls to the Duke and the Duchess’s relationship is that the Duke’s arrogance. In the beginning of the poem
Browning’s My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue set in the Renaissance period narrated by an unnamed Duke who describes his “last Duchess”. Throughout this text, it is evident that the Duke has an excessive demand for control. This character trait is seen most prominently through his remarks on his late wife and the way in which he felt she was “too easily impressed” by things other than himself. The Duke is jealous and seemingly disgusted when he claims that the late Duchess “ranked my gift of
My Last Duchess is a poem but more of a monologue whose poet is Robert Browning. The poem presents to us probably a Duke who seems to show off the wife’s portrait to an addressee who is a visitor in his house. When the Duke talks to the visitor, he makes reference to the portrait of her Duchess framed on the wall and refers to her as the last one. The Duchess is late, “Looking as if she were alive” (Browning, 2). As I had stated in the opening sentence, the poem is just a monologue since it involves
relevant time to critique the prevalence of domestic violence. Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue My Last Duchess was written as an appraisal of the cruelty of men and the sub-human treatment of women in the Victorian period as well as criticising the patriarchy. But why, nearly two centuries later, are we revisiting this poem? Browning uses his poetry, specifically works like My Last Duchess to explore the dark, rather evil side of the human condition – an ever relevant topic to suit a contemporary
My last Duchess Browning presents the duke as an arrogant, jealous character with an ostentatious disposition .In the dramatic monologue of the Duke it would seem he over analyses his duchesses interactions in the poem, particularly that of the male gender. This institutes that the Duke is a jealous man and also that he regards the duchess as more of a possession than a person. This is also portrayed through the possessive pronouns used throughout the poem such us “my” and “mine.” Another fact
The characters of “My Last Duchess” are the Duke and the Duchess. At the start of the poem the Duke is looking at a picture of his deceased wife, the Duchess. The Duke is remembering the day the Duchess posed for the painting, “That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands /Worked busily a day, and there she stands” (Browning lines 3-4). The Duke talks about how easily the Duchess was “impressed” with small gifts given to her by others and that she had a wandering eye, “Too easily impressed; she
“My Last Duchess,” is ironic and psychological because monologue is found by which the readers can be blinded to. The Duke, who could be described as a murderer, can also ironically be charming. He wants to make himself seem as powerful as he thinks he should be. He uses all of his possessions that he feels are important to make himself feel like a higher power to the rest of society. He feels as if bragging about his things would help people like him but fails to see that he has no control over