My Last Duchess

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Recommended: Influence of the romantic literary period

In My Last Duchess, while the Duke is speaking to the emissary about his future bride he points out a painting of his last wife. Starting off he seems to be a sorrowful widower reliving his wife’s memory through “The depth and passion of “(Browning Line 8) her portrait on the wall. He points out that the painter captured “that spot/ Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek” (Browning Lines 14-15), but states that “‘t was not/ Her husband’s presence only” (Browning Line 14) that caused her to blush hinting that the Duchess was happy about something other than him and he was quite jealous because of it. In his speaking of her, he gives the impression that he is resentful of his past wife and jealous as well as greedy. His jealousy is declared many times in remarks about her gazing onto others but not the Duke himself, “Strangers like you that pictured countenance, /The depth and passion of its earnest glance, /But to myself they turned” (Browning Lines 7-9). …show more content…

Due to infuriating jealousy, without informing her he was upset “In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will/ Quite clear to such an one, and say, ‘Just this/ Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,/ Or there exceed the mark’” (Browning Lines 36-39) he commanded to have her murdered “Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without /Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together. /There she stands /As if alive” (Browning Lines

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