Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess Essay - 2367 Words

Robert Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess,† written in 1842, is an intriguing poem that reveals an unexpected interpretation when closely analyzed. The poem is based upon actual incidents that occurred in the life of Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara. The first wife of Ferrara, Lucrezia, mysteriously died in 1561 with many speculations afterwards that it was supposedly Ferrara who murdered her. The poem takes place in media res of the Duke consulting and arranging his second marriage. A portrait of the former Duchess is pointed out, and the Duke begins to recall her personality and behavior. The genre is a dramatic monologue. Browning uses various techniques and ways to make the reader scrutinize what the speaker is saying in order to†¦show more content†¦Choices such as earnest, depth, passion, joy, ample, officious, fool, stopped, and trifling are just a few of the vocabulary choices that helped emphasize this shift. This transition to a more serious baffling tone st arts once he begins talking about the faults in the Duchess. He wants to portray the Duchess in a negative light, in order for his to seem like a savior. The Duke wants complete control and possession of the Duchess. He is not keen on sharing the Duchess’s attention with anyone else. Consequently, this makes the Duke very bitter and greedy. He uses the word â€Å"my† consistently such as â€Å"my last Duchess,† â€Å"my favor at her breast,† and â€Å"my gift, etc.† Placing emphasis to the envoy that all those mentioned above or his possessions and no one else’s. Even in the title there is an allusion of his wife, which reveals his selfish personality and desires. When he is showing the envoy the painting he commands he envoy such as â€Å"will’t please you sit,† â€Å"will’t you please rise,† and â€Å"we’ll go / Together down etc.† The Duke does not ask the envoy if he wants to hear this story, he rather commands the envoy to sit and endure his recollection of the Duchess. The Duke’s ego is focused on portraying his side of the story that he does not realize that he is indiscreetly showing his selfish reasoning behind the Duchess’s death. The Duke is not fond of the Duchess’s wandering eye. Certain connotations give a sense of the Duke’s unease stating theShow MoreRelated Compare and contrast Robert Brownings My Last Duchess with an1648 Words   |  7 PagesCompare and contrast Robert Brownings My Last Duchess with an extract from U A Fanthorpes Not My Best Side The dramatic monologue, My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is set around an imaginary Duke who is giving a tour of his mansion to a messenger for the father of his future wife. U. A. Fanthorpes poem is themed around the painting St George and the Dragon by the artist Uccello. Not My Best Side is broken up into three distinct verses, all of which are monologues. The first is fromRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Robert Brownings My Last Duchess794 Words   |  4 Pagesseems to be innocent crimes. And yet he is strikingly charming, both in his use of language and his genial speech. A remarkably immoral man nevertheless has a sense of beauty and of how to reel in his listener. In the dramatic monologue My Last Duchess by Robert Browning we see the grim character of the Duke that hides behind his charm and power. The Dukes extreme demand for control comes across as his most noteworthy characteristic. The obvious manifestation of this is not only the murder of hisRead More The Sinister Duke in Robert Brownings My Last Duchess Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe Sinister Duke in Robert Brownings My Last Duchess In Robert Brownings My Last Duchess, a portrait of the egocentric and power loving Duke of Ferrara is painted for us. Although the dukes 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 possessedRead MoreRobert Brownings Poems My Last Duchess and Porphyrias Lover1459 Words   |  6 Pageswomen’s suffrage worded it this way, â€Å"Ah! how many of my sex feel in the dominion, thus unrighteously exercised over them, under the gentle appellation of protection, that what they have leaned upon has proved a broken reed at best and oft a spear.†(Grimke) The author will continue on to exclaim that womanhood is a bond because of men who believe the fairer sex to be inferior to them. This was evident in the poet Robert Browningâ€⠄¢s poems My Last Duchess and Porphyria’s Lover which are both dramatic monologuesRead MoreThe Inferiority of Women in Robert Brownings Poem My Last Duchess803 Words   |  4 PagesWritten by Robert Browning, â€Å"My Last Duchess† is a poem about an egocentric Duke who has a painting of his last wife upon the wall and is trying to impress an ambassador who is negotiating his next marriage. Although it is obvious that the Duke is trying to persuade this ambassador, however, this is where the first mystery is created. It is almost as if he is trying to persuade no one more than himself. This poem was set in Renaissance Italy and women were denied all political rights and consideredRead MoreTreatment of Women in Robert Brownings My Last Duchess and Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress1787 Words   |  8 PagesTreatment of Women in Robert Brownings My Last Duchess and Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress Sex, lies and intrigue are just a few of the themes explored in â€Å"My Last Duchess† and â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†. The control men have over women and the control women have over men are also closely observed in these 16th century poems. The two poems also give us an insight to the treatment and presentation of women in that era. The poets, Robert Browning and Andrew Marvell, haveRead More Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church2264 Words   |  10 PagesDramatic Monologue in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church The general public knows Robert Browning as the writer of â€Å"The Pied Piper† a beloved children’s tale, and the hero of the film The Barrett’s of Wimpole Street. Most recognize him for little else. The literary world recognizes him as one of the most prolific poets of all time. However, his grave in Westminster Abbey stands among the great figures in English history. At his deathRead MoreRobert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue1390 Words   |  6 Pages13, 2004 Robert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Controlling Purpose: to analyze selected works of Robert Browning. I. Brief overview of Browning A. Greatest Poet B. Family Life II. Brief overview of My Last Duchess A. Descriptive adjectives B. Cause for death C. Description of his wife III. Definition of Dramatic Monologue IV. Comments by Glenn Everett A. Point of View B. Tone C. Audience Imagination V. Comments by Terry Bohannon A. No Christianity B. Evil Characters Robert BrowningRead MoreWilliam Browning And Elizabeth Barrett Browning Essay1197 Words   |  5 Pagesauthors, Roberts Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, also expose the culture and the condition of the society of the Victorian era through their works. The authors are married couple authors of the Victorian era. Roberts Browning’s a typical literary work is My Last Duchess. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s one of the most famous work is Aurora Leigh. In the two poems, the authors mainly focus on the different gender roles. Even though the two Victorian era literatures,  Aurora Leigh  and  My Last DuchessRead MoreSimilarities Between My Last Duchess And Porphyrias Lover1113 Words   |  5 PagesTrue Love (A Discussion on Robert Brownings My Last Duchess and Porphyria’s Lover.) Robert Browning wrote many amazing dramatic monologues during his time in the 1800’s. â€Å"The English poet Robert Browning (1812-1889) is best known for his dramatic monologues. By vividly portraying a central character against a social background, these poems probed complex human motives in a variety of historical periods†(Gale). Browning was super influential with his monologues during the Victorian period and even