My Last Duchess Essay

An Explicate on My Last Duchess

In “My Last Duchess,” Robert Browning uses an excellent example of dramatic monologue. Browning uses a casual conversation throughout the poem which makes the reader feel as if he or she were overhearing it. As “My Last Duchess” unfolds, the reader discovers the central idea from analyzing the relationship between the lines and stanzas. The most explicit theme in the poem is one of power and jealousy which the Duke displays throughout. This theme is made apparent when the Duke stands in front of an agent for his fiancée’s family with a portrait of his last wife – who is now dead – and talks about her flaws. By the end, the reader realizes that the irony in this piece is that the Duke’s perceived “faults” of the Duchess were actually good characteristics to have such as compassion and courtesy to those whom served her. This being said, we can infer that the Duke is doing this to warn his future wife the consequences of not living up to his standards.

In the beginning of the poem, the Duke shows a portrait

of his first wife hanging on the wall. She looks “alive,” and he gives credit of this portrait to an imaginary painter, Frà Pandolf. After displaying this portrait, the Duke begins his rant about the way his wife treated him. As the Duke says, the Duchess’ blushing cheeks in the portrait were due to Frà Pandolf’s compliments about her beauty. He faults his wife for accepting these compliments and smiling back at Frà Pandolf, because he claims that she is too courteous to the encounter. He notes that she fails to appreciate him and his ranking compared to others, but he would not go so far as to correct this misbehavior. He believes that his wife should instead just naturally know better: “I choose/Never to stoop” (Browning, ll. 42-43).
Furthermore, the Duke’s description of his former wife exposes his jealousy. He complains that she gave him the same smile as she did to everyone else she saw: “Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without/Much the same smile” (Browning, ll. 44-45). The Duchess seemingly did not reserve enough attention for him, his rank, and his power. This frustration causes the Duke to kill her: “I gave commands;/Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands/As if alive” (Browning, ll. 45-47). Although Browning does not go into further detail, these lines suggest that the Duke is responsible for the death of his former wife.
As the monologue comes to an end, the Duke tells the agent that they will be going downstairs to meet with the others. He immediately refers to the marriage arrangement, as if the former Duchess is not important to him anymore. He suggests that the Count should have no issues with providing a dowry for his daughter since he is so wealthy. However, the Duke claims that it is his daughter that he wants: “Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed” (Browning, l. 52). On their way downstairs, the Duke shows the agent a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea horse. He proceeds to tell him that is was made exclusively for him by Claus of Innsbruck. Although this may seem to be a change in subject, it summarizes the Duke’s clear message to the agent. Not only must his second wife bring wealth into their marriage, but she must be “tamed” to her role as Duchess. She may end up like the last Duchess if she does not meet his requirements.
As noted, the Duchess’ smile to other men provokes an anger in the Duke that causes him to have her killed. His jealousy occurs due to the lack of control he has over her. He cannot stand her even smiling at anyone else. The Duke blames her of being flirtatious and unfaithful because she was nice to other men besides him. Now that she is dead and only exists in the painting, he has complete possession over her. The irony of the monologue is that you believe the Duke is showing the reader his attractive qualities, but in reality he is self-obsessed and evil. He is not able to see himself as he is, but the reader can. His words reveal his jealousy and his lack of sorrow when it comes to killing his former wife. The Duke covered the painting on his wall with a curtain so she was only able to look at him. Since he was not the only person she smiled at when alive, the painting gives him that advantage. The Duchess’ love for life and pleasant attitude caused the Duke to be jealous. He wanted the Duchess to focus her attention on him and only him.
Robert Browning’s use of voice and irony dramatically impacts the understanding of the theme. At the end of the monologue, the reader understands that money and power cannot buy love. The type of marriage the Duke wants appears to be more of a business deal rather than an actual relationship. Browning’s development of voice influences the reader’s view of “My Last Duchess.” The use of dramatic dialogue separates the speaker from the poem. Therefore, the reader is encouraged to read in between the lines to understand what the poem is saying. After reading how the Duke felt about his wife, the reader gains a better understanding about the true character of the speaker. The Duke has a huge sense of family pride: “Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked/My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name” (Browning, ll. 32-33). The Duke also feels a sense of ownership over his former wife. He feels that his wife should have been more appreciative to him since he chose her to marry him. As a result, it angers him that she treats him in the same manner as everyone else.
In conclusion, Robert Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess,” is a wonderful example of the irony that a poet can achieve within a dramatic monologue.

Browning cleverly conveys his messages by including literary techniques. Since there is one speaker, we have to carefully asses what he or she is telling us. Although the Duke’s monologue appears to be about his former wife, she is simply a side note in his self-important speech. The Duke’s last wife was pleasant to everyone, and he is going to make sure his next wife, the daughter of the Count, doesn’t behave the same way. Some statements appear to be modest on the surface, but the Duke furthers his arrogance. We find irony in these statements because at one point, we believe that modesty existed. Overall, the poem leaves readers in a shocking suspense. A brilliant performance by a captivating character, an enjoyably written script, and a title that is a risky revelation in

itself.