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Instead, readers can imagine a specific setting and detect action and reaction based on the hints given within the verse. In "My Last Duchess," the dramatic monologue is directed at a courtier of a wealthy count, presumably one whose daughter the Duke is trying to marry.
Before the poem even begins, the courtier has been escorted through the Duke's palace—probably through an art gallery filled with paintings and sculptures. The courtier has noticed the curtain which conceals a painting, and the Duke decides to treat his guest to a viewing of this very special portrait of his late wife. The courtier is impressed, perhaps even mesmerized by the smile of the woman in the painting. That's when the dramatic monologue begins:.
The Duke behaves cordially enough, asking his guest if he would like to gaze at the painting—we are witnessing the speaker's public persona. As the monologue continues, the Duke boasts about the fame of the painter: Fra Pandolf. What the painting captures appears to be a watered-down version of the Duchess's joyfulness. While it is clear that the Duke doesn't approve of the "spot of joy" lines on her cheek, we aren't sure whether it is an addition fabricated by the friar or whether the Duchess did indeed blush during the painting session.
It is clear, however, that the Duke is pleased that his wife's smile has been preserved within the artwork. The Duke explains to his visitor that she would offer that beautiful smile to everyone, instead of reserving it exclusively for her husband.
She appreciated nature, the kindness of others, animals, and the simple pleasures of everyday life, and this disgusts the Duke. She failed to sufficiently revere the name and family she married into.
The Duke might not reveal his explosive emotions to the courtier as they sit and look at the painting, but the reader can deduce that the Duchess's lack of worshipfulness infuriated her husband. He wanted to be the only person, the only object of her affection. The Duke self-righteously continues his explanation of events, rationalizing that despite his disappointment it would have been beneath him to talk openly with his wife about his feelings of jealousy.
He feels that communication with his own wife is beneath his class. Instead, he gives commands and "all smiles stopped together" line The reader can assume, however, that the duke does not give commands to her directly; to him, any instruction would be "stooping. The final lines of the poem display the Duke showing off another of his artistic acquisitions.
Additionally, Browning uses heroic couplet as a rhyming scheme, yet the real hero of the poem is silenced. Similarly, the title and the Duchess' "spot of joy" seem to be the only places where the Duchess is entitled to some power. The Duke exhibits an arrogance rooted in an audacious sense of male superiority. He is stuck on himself—full of narcissism and misogyny. As suggested by the character heading at the beginning of the speech, the speaker's name is Ferrara.
Most scholars agree that Browning derived his character from a 16th-century Duke of the same title: Alfonso II d'Este, a renowned patron of the arts who was also rumored to have poisoned his first wife. Being of a higher society, the speaker automatically possesses a large amount of authority and power. This is reinforced by the structure of the poem itself—in the monologue, with no response from the courtier, let alone the Duchess , the Duke is allowed to present himself and the story in whichever way suits him best.
His need for control, along with his jealousy, are also perceptible when the Duke decides to uncover the painting for the courtier.
It is also interesting to note that the Duke chose a holy member of the church as part of his plan to capture and control his wife's image. On one hand, it is a twisted plan, coupling evil and holy together. As it is rarely random for elements like this to be without significance, we can draw a metaphor between the portrait and the statue. Some readers believe that the Duchess isn't as innocent and that her "smiles" are really a code word for promiscuous behavior.
To what degree, we will never know. It is, however, possible that when the friar paints her, she blushes out of pleasure to be near him. One of the powerful aspects of this poem is indeed this uncertainty created for the reader—did the Duke execute a guilty wife or did he end the life of an innocent, kind-hearted woman? Certainly, women were oppressed during the s, the era in which "My Last Duchess" takes place.
Yet, the poem is less of a critique of the feudalistic ways of medieval Europe and more of an attack on the biased, overbearing views and rules of Victorian society. Literature of the era, in circles both journalistic and literary, portrayed women as fragile creatures in need of a husband. For a Victorian woman to be morally good, she must embody "sensitivity, self-sacrifice, innate purity.
While many Victorian husbands desired a pure, virginal bride, they also desired physical, mental, and sexual conquest. However, from the way the Duke mentions the name of Fra Pandolf it is obvious that the artist is supposed to be famous and his works highly valued. In the case of the Duchess the Duke controlled when she died, who sees her portrait, and how she will be portrayed to those who come after her.
The Duke uses his voice to gain power and control over his life and the lives of others, as he uses an entire monologue to express his sentiments and opinions. This poem is set in and is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara, Italy in the latter half of the 16th century.
The Duke boasts of his aggression toward his dead wife in an effort to gain complete mastery over her most simple pleasures. His reference to the statue of Neptune emphasizes his hunger for mastery over all of the things around him. The only speaker is the Duke of Ferrara. The listener, who, offstage, asks about the smile of the last duchess in the portrait, is silent during the entire poem.
This is significant because this is an individual that the Duke is trying to impress. The lover objectifies Porphyria by only describing her physically-attractive characteristics and using possessive terms for them.
Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home What flaw does the Duke identify in his last duchess? Ben Davis May 14, What flaw does the Duke identify in his last duchess?
What examples of this flaw are mentioned by the Duke? Why was the Duke dissatisfied with his last duchess? What does the Duke reveal about himself through his speech?
What is the irony in the poem My Last Duchess? How did the Duke describe his deceased wife? What does Duke say about dowry? Why does the Duke hide the Duchess painting behind a curtain? Why was the Duke unhappy with his first wife? Who passed without Much the same smile? What prompted the Duke to command a stop on the Duchess smile altogether?
Who d stoop to blame?
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