Introduction
My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue produced by Robert Browning. The poem was published in 1842 as a part of dramatic lyrics. Robert Browning, the speaker of the poem, acts as the Duke of Ferrara, who lived in the 16th century. My Last Duchess is a narrative poem based on historical events.
Summary of “My Last Duchess”
The Duke of Ferrara tells the story of his late wife to an emissary who has come to visit the duke’s palace, carrying the marriage proposal from another powerful family. The Duke pulls up the curtain from his last Dutch portrait and shows the portrait to the emissary. He narrates the story to show his earnest feelings for his last duchess. Moreover, he also feels inconvenienced by her behavior.
The Duke says that whenever someone passed by her, she would feel lecherous and bring a blush to her cheeks. He further explains that whenever someone presented a gift to her, she would feel joyous and lucky. The Duke unveils his heartache and says that whenever he passed by her, she did not feel lecherous and not lucky. Besides this, the Duke angrily reveals that she did not value his gift of the nine-hundred-year-old name. As the monologue reaches its last part, the readers and the emissary realize that the duke caused the Duchess’s death.
“My Last Duchess analysis”
My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue, which implies that the poem is written as a speech and spoken by one character. The character indirectly reveals his feelings and thoughts to the audience or listeners. Though the audience is present, they do not usually have permission to speak and respond. These types of stories can be called subjective because these stories reveal the author’s intentions and profound feelings.
Setting and context
The dramatic monologue is set in the Italian Renaissance. This was the period known for its great wealth and political interest. The Duke is unveiling the portrait of his deceived wife to an emissary who has come for negotiations about the Duke’s next marriage.
Patriarchal Society
The poem reflects the patriarchal behavior of the Duke of Ferrara. The patriarchal Renaissance society implies a time when women were not free and they had not the permission to choose their life partners. The Duke’s behavior reflects the full possession and control over the last duchess. This was the era where women were treated as minorities and were possessions of their husbands. The poem also reflects its contemporary social culture.
Imagination and Tone
The poem is rich with the use of imagery. The Duke recollects the thoughts and dives into the imagination of his last duchess. The Duke’s tone is used as a metaphor, which implies the Duke’s dominance over the painting of his last duchess. E.g., “That is my last Duchess painted on the wall.”
Use of Irony
He presents himself as innocent. However, throughout the poem, his language shows his flawed and cruel nature. The Duke tries to win favor with the emissary, for whatever he has done is lawful and not regrettable.
Symbolism
The portrait hanging over the wall displays the symbol of control and love. The preserved portrait symbolizes the love of the Duke for his last Duchess. It shows the patriarchal behavior of control over women.
Wealth and Beauty
The Duke implies wealth, and the Duchess implies beauty. This was the period when beauty was engaged through wealth. The wealthy and royal families would love beauty more than human freedom and freedom of movement.
Jealousy
The Duke is unsatisfied due to his last Dutch behavior. He feels jealous when someone else presents her a gift or when she passes a smile to someone else. The Duke’s jealousy becomes vivid when the Duke says his wife did not value his nine-hundred-year-old name gift. As the following textual lines explain, “As if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-year-old name with anybody’s gift.”
Moral Corruption
The Duke does not regret the death of his wife. He does not feel that he was the actual cause of her death. This kind of cruel and arrogant nature describes the moral corruption of the Duke.
Conclusion
My Last Duchess is a remarkable and one of the most celebrated works in English literature. Robert Browning depicts the culture of the Italian Renaissance. The era is a vivid reflection of male male-dominated society, where women were treated as servants. Moreover, the poem reveals the harsh nature of wealthy people for women in a patriarchal society. The poem is about reflection, power, moral corruption, and women’s suffering.