The Sinister Duke in Robert Browning's My Last Duchess In Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess," a portrait of the egocentric and power loving Duke of Ferrara is painted for us. Although the duke's monologue appears on the surface to be about his late wife, a close reading will show that the mention of his last duchess is merely a side note in his self-important speech. Browning uses the dramatic monologue form very skillfully to show us the controlling, jealous, and arrogant traits the duke possessed without ever mentioning them explicitly. The first two lines of the poem introduce us to the main topic of the duke's speech, a painting of his late wife: "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,/Looking as if she were alive." We immediately begin to suspect that the duchess is no longer alive, but are not sure. The clever language Browning chose suggested that something was wrong, but left enough ambiguity to quickly capture our attention as readers. Also in these lines, we are given our first hint that the duchess really not all that important to the duke; he speaks of the painting as if it was the duchess, suggesting that his late wife was nothing more than her external appearance. Instead of the painting looking as if it were alive, the duchess looks as if she were alive. Again, this seemingly small detail gives a significant hint about what lies ahead in the poem. While the duke describes the history of the painting, he mentions the artist's name, Frà Pandolf, three times (lines 3, 6, 16). The first mention of the name was all that was necessary to let the listener know who painted the work. The words the painter or the artist could easily have been substituted for the second two. The way in which the duke repeated... ... middle of paper ... ...g with what he was trying to say. The duke knows that he has great skill in speech and he also knows that the emissary knows this. He is only saying that he does not possess skill in speech because he knows that his audience will not believe him. His show of modesty is merely an illusion, not true modesty. The overarching irony in Browning's "My Last Duchess" is that it really is not about the duchess, but instead about the controlling, jealous, and arrogant nature of the duke. In his monologue describing a painting of his former wife, the duke introduces us to his dark and sinister qualities. By giving us the Duke of Ferrara as an example, Robert Browning subtly condemns the nobility for their poor character. Works Cited Browning, Robert. “My Last Duchess.” Making Literature Matter. Ed. John Schilb, and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford, 2000. 1376-1378.
held, and he is clearly very controlling in his relationships. Browning's use of the first person narrative in "My Last Duchess" allows the reader to gain insight into the Duke's character and personality. The use of the servant as a listener also allows the reader to see how the Duke interacts with others and how he wants to be perceived. Overall, Browning's use of the first person narrative in his dramatic monologues is a powerful tool in revealing the thoughts and feelings of his characters.
Evidence has been found and proven to support the idea of the attacks on 9/11 were carried out by the United States of America. If the United States really did plot September 11, 2001 it would not be the first time a government attempted to use false flag operations to increase their power and to help justify events. Adolph Hitler once stated “terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.” In 1939 Nazi Germany pursued an international propaganda campaign accusing Polish officers of organizing ethnic cleansing of Germans living in Poland. The creative scheme was known as Operation Himmler, n...
Robert Browning was poet during the Victorian Age, his wrote about love and established this through his characters. His works explore the nature of love, as shown in “Porphria’s Lover” and “My Last Duchess.” Throughout both poems, Robert Browning uses multiple literary devices to help establish the theme of the nature of love.
Lloyd Webber’s widely regarded masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera uses key motifs and themes throughout the musical to establish its characters and scenes in an effective manner. Throughout the production the motifs, themes and songs all develop to reflect the changes their respective characters undergo. This is particularly evident when analysing The Phantom, his motifs and songs, and how they develop throughout the story.
The bond between child and a caregiver is based on the child's need for safety, security and protection, which is paramount in infancy and childhood (Bretherton, 1992). One’s ability to form emotional bonds in early stages of infant development is the fundamental component of emotional development and predictor of later interpersonal functioning (Hutchinson, 2013). John Bowlby, who initially began his study on attachment by observing animals, proposed that children attach to caregivers instinctively. Evolutionary speaking, those who are able to remain close and attached to their caregivers were more likely to survive through to the reproductive stages and develop healthy attachments in their adult hood (Fraley, 2004; Hutchinson, 2013). He concluded that the infant initiates the bonding sequence but it is the mother’s behaviors which strengthens their bonding (Hutchinson, 32013). Mary Ainsworth was Bowlby’s most famous collaborator in regards to explaining human attachment and conducted experiments that demonstrated that affectional bonds between infants and caregivers are persistent and not transitory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall 1978).
John Bowlby was the first attachment theorist, he describes attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p.194), he believed that the earliest bonds that were formed between child and caregiver has a huge impact that continues throughout the infants life. Attachment is said to help keep the infant close to their mother, so it improves the child’s chance of survival.
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. By Andrew Lloyd Webber. Prod. Cameron Mackintosh. Perf. Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Hadley Fraser. Really Useful Films, 2011. DVD.
Attachment theory as defined by Harris and White (2013) examines the connection between infants and young children to their caregivers. Studying attachment is important in understanding behavior because it develops at such a young age and has an influence on all future relationships including dysfunctional family connections, challenges to adolescent peer relationships (Iwaniec & Sneddon, 2001; Reyome, 2010; ). As identified by Ainsworth (1982), there are three categories of attachment which include secure, avoidant, and anxious/ambivalent. In 1990, Main and Solomon concluded that a fourth category should be noted which they identified as being disorganized/disoriented. These different styles of attachment are theorized to have long-term
Browning’s works were the primary model for the basic form of the standard Victorian dramatic monologue which was based around a speaker, listener, and a reader. Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess” became a model for the dramatic monologue form primarily because of the strict approach he took while developing the poem. One of the aspects characteristic of this work is the authors level of consciousness. Each element in “My Last Duchess” is thoughtfully constructed with form and structure in mind. This poem is filled with dramatic principle that satisfied the Victorian period’s demand for an action and drama that were not overtly apparent in the work. In the case of “My Last Duchess” the drama of the poem is how his character, the Duke, is introduced. In dramatic monologues the character’s self is revealed through thoug...
‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ are both poems by the Victorian poet Robert Browning. In this essay I will compare these two poems to find similarities and differences.
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.
A Comparison of the Dramatic Monologues of Porphyria's Lover and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
Wood plays an essential role in our daily lives as they form the base of many types of furniture we use. Whether considering indoor or outdoor furniture, the choice of wood typically leads the pack in preference due to its variety in look, feel, and lifespan. Simply put, they can provide a memorable, unique, and elegant ambiance to any place you choose for the rest of your life.
Throughout "My Last Duchess," Browning uses diction to further increase the haunting effect of his dramatic monologue. His precise and scattered word choice is meant to make the reader recognize the underlying haughtiness in his speech to the Count's emissary. The Duke refers to his former wife's portraits "depth" and "passion" in order to place a cloudiness over the realism of the painting. This, along with the "faint" and "half-flush" appearance that "dies along her throat," brings about an overcast appearance to the poem. The Duke's "trifling" lack of "countenance" is evident in his jealousy of
Woodworking, a form of carpentry, has been around for centuries and overtime developed into a more modern art. Today people will mostly see woodwork in homes in the form of furniture and decorations, or even smaller things such as family heirlooms passed down by generations and simple crafts made by younger generations. The skill of woodworking, however, is not inherited but takes practice and years of experience to fully master. Even experienced woodworkers run into challenges sometimes. The key is to overcome that obstacle and find different ways to create something new from a piece of wood. It is interesting to see and go through the process in which a woodworker goes through