An example essay on Browning's 'My Last

Duchess'
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How does Browning tell the story in 'My Last Duchess'
This story of a man who has, out of jealousy and insecurity, disposed of his wife, most likely by murder, is
chillingly told by Browning through the voice of the murderer himself in a dramatic monologue.
Throughout, Browning turns the speakers words against himself: the apparently all-powerful narrator
loses control of his narrative, just as he lost control of his wife, and must kill his story in order to continue
in his plans to gain another wife.
Browning sets this story in Renaissance Italy, specifically in Ferrara, which is named in the poems
subtitle. The specific time-period is not named, but the names of the artists mentioned in the poem recall
famous painters such as Fra Angelico and Fra Lippo Lippi, who lived in the quattro and cinquecento in
Italy. This period is renowned not only for the flourishing of artistic talent and the production of beautiful
works of art (often of surprising verisimilitude) but also for violence, intrigue and murder: indeed, Ferrara
itself, seat of the dEste family, was a byword for fabulous displays of artistic and architectural taste
alongside appalling brutality. These ideas embody the violence and materialism at the heart of the story,
and which, it is hinted, motivated the Dukes murder of his last Duchess.
The immediate setting for the story is an upper chamber in the ducal palace, away from the company
below, and Browning uses this as a means of making his narrator a more intimidating character, capable
of dominating the isolated and socially inferior audience (the Count is, we are told our master). The use
of a setting which amplifies the Dukes power is a key aspect of Brownings narrative method here, in that
the power belies the weakness and insecurity which cause the Duchess death. The final image of
Neptune, taming a sea-horse, ought to be a final flourish for the Duke in his theatrical show for the
listening envoy, yet this detail of the setting is emblematic of Brownings irony at work throughout the
poem: whereas the Duke sees the rarity as a sign of his wealth and good taste, and also as a
representation of his ability to tame a wild animal, he does not see the irony in him taming a creature as
tiny and harmless as a sea-horse.
Browning begins his story with the Duke presenting a picture of his last Duchess to an envoy, in a bid to
impress upon him his power and good taste, and ultimately, to ensure winning the Counts daughters
hand in marriage. Even in the first line, though, the Dukes choice of language undermines himself: his
confident statement of Thats my last Duchess painted on the wall ought to establish a domineering voice
(and, to an extent, it does, developed through relentlessly rhyming couplets), but the undertones of the
word last appear to escape him he ought, perhaps, to have said late, but this word establishes his
materialism and shallow ostentatiousness, which cause the reader to mistrust his version of events.
In the subsequent discussion of the picture Browning sets up the scene and many of the central questions
of the story. The Dukes apparently offhand mentioning of the artists name sits uneasily with his need for
control over the curtain (which none puts by but I) establishes the contradictions inherent in the
narrative voice. The subsequent account of what the Duke imagines Fra Pandolf saying to his Duchess
introduces the question over the Duchess sexual fidelity which will feature strongly later in the story, when
the Duke mentions the spot of joy which was not only called up by her husbands presence.
Browning tells the story of the Duke and Duchess marriage, and of the incidents which led to her death,
in a loose, apparently unstructured series of allegations made by the Duke about her smile, which went
everywhere, and her heart, which was too soon made glad. Tellingly, the reader finds it hard to
sympathise with the narrators evident indignation, expressed in the outburst Sir, twas all one!, when all
that the Duchess stands accused of is loving the dropping of the daylight in the West and a bough of

cherries; to the Duke it seems that these are evidence of feminine weakness, if not actual infidelity, but
the readers mistrust of the Duke invites them to see the images simply for what they are: examples of
natures unfettered beauty. It seems that Brownings intention here is to distance the audience from the
narrator, so that we are inclined to view his actions more dispassionately and critically: by doing this,
Browning makes the Dukes final accusation that of his wife undervaluing his nine-hundred-years-oldname seem ridiculous.
The narration of the murder itself is preceded by a passage of speech which is in marked contrast to the
controlled refinement of the narrators voice in the early stages of the
monologue. His phrases become fragmented, broken by asides such as I know not how, and the
repetition of stoop (or forms thereof) three times in is used by Browning as conveying the impression of
frustration and even anger in the narrative voice. With each repetition, the narrators grip on the narrative
weakens. Significantly, whereas the Duke relates the Duchess behaviour earlier as a series of apparently
emblematic incidents, at this stage he resorts to generalising, asking who passed without / Much the
same smile? What ought to be the final, damning indictment of the Duchess infidelity, becomes instead,
a damning indictment of the narrators selfish insecurity.
Browning recounts the Duchess death (or, at least, disappearance) in a striking moment of only two lines,
where the narrator appears to regain his control over his version of events. The series of short phrases,
interspersed with semi-colons, has an air of grim finality, and it may appear that the narrator is smugly
self-satisfied with his actions. Certainly, given the claustrophobic setting of an upper chamber, isolated
from the company below, the intention seems clear. However, it is hard to see his character as being
dignified and impressive, when he seems more impressed with the commands he gave, and the fact that
it is smiles which stopped. Here, Browning exploits the ambiguity of the word smile which was created
by the Duke itself: where he appears to intend it to stand as a euphemism for sexual infidelity, it remains
in its literal meaning an innocent and charming action, and it is in keeping with Brownings method
throughout the poem to invite the reader to see it as such.
Browning concludes the story on a chilling note, with the Dukes narration regaining the polished, icy
control that characterised the early parts of the monologue. The return to the present tense at Willt
please you to rise reminds the reader that they are a character in this drama, and Browning uses this to
make the Dukes attempt to gain a new wife all the more unsettling. The Dukes appeal, phrased in
impossibly oblique and opaque terms, for a dowry, is certainly baffling, but Browning here hints at a subtext which the Duke has thus far omitted from the story: the Duke appears to need money. Whether or not
he is in dire financial straits, the collocation of money and the fair daughters self makes for a disturbing
conclusion, appearing to sum up the Dukes brutal objectification of women, in which they are silenced.

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y+Last+Duchess'

he Thesis Statement A Literary Criticism of My Last Duchess by Robert

Browning.
1. About the opening line.
2. The unveiling of the portrait.
3. The reader gets introduced to the memories of the duchess.
4. The reader gets acquainted with the dukes despicable attitude towards the duchess.
5. The Duke appreciates Fra Pandolfs work.
6. The poets effective use of stylistics.

7. A beautiful ending.
8. A masterpiece.
My Last Duchess is a masterpiece by Robert Browning. The poem opens with the Duke unveiling the
portrait of his Duchess who apparently has left for her heavenly abode. Looking as if she were alive, this
line tells the reader that this beautiful lady was history now. He explains to the messenger present during
the unveiling that the lovely lady depicted on this portrait was his wife, the duchess who was an
extraordinary woman, he goes on to explain that she actually had a very flirtatious nature, it did not need
too much of an effort to see her beautiful smile . A small compliment or a cheap gift was enough to bring
the blush on her cheeks, Strangers like you that pictured countenance, the depth and passion of its
earnest glance.
The poet manages to bring in sarcasm in the tone of the Duke to convey his dislike for the duchess, to the
readers. At no point does the Duke say anything derogatory about the duchess but at the same time
manages to express the hurt and humiliation he went through due to her wayward nature. The Duke says
indignantly Oh! Sir she smiled no doubt whenever I passed her; but who passed without, much the same
smile.This line exposes the exasperation of the Duke, because he feels that he was not treated specially,
since the duchess bestowed the same smile on him, which she had for all others who she came across.
He felt humiliated at the thought that a small gift from a man was enough to please the duchess,
according to him it was very petty in comparison to the eight hundred year old legacy of his family name
that he had given her. The duke was unhappy that she never laid any importance to this great lineage.
The poet uses the method of stylistics while writing this poem; this technique has been used very well and
very effectively. It is wonderful the way the poet makes the Duke talk about the duchess, whom he has
probably got eliminated without any remorse. The Duchess had died under mysterious circumstances but
the way the Duke talks about it makes it very obvious that he had a hand in the mysterious occurrence.
But the Duke is relentless and does not waste any time, he immediately gets engaged to a Counts
daughter. In a way I feel there was a lot of difference between genders during that time, because a man
as projected during Brownings lifetime had the privilege to marry again after killing his wife.
The Duke was not guilt ridden as he feels his actions were righteous. He continues lambasting the
duchess and tearing her reputation into smithereens with great panache. The best part of the poem is that
the poet has never made the Duke Mouth harsh words throughout; the entire poem is like a sugar coated
pill. Thus we see that Browning has managed to convey to his readers who have actually never come
face to face with the duchess about her flirtatious nature, a coquette who deserved no sympathy even
after death. The very casual attitude the Duke maintains throughout the poem to some extent manages to
evoke sympathy for the duchess. The reader at this point feels that the allegations against the duchess
are incorrect because she is not there to defend herself. The picture which we get about her is one- sided
and it seems a little biased .At times however the reader nurtures a dislike for the duchess and
empathizes with the Duke too because the poet projects the Duke as the wronged one. Browning has
managed to tell us a marvelous story about the feudal lords of yester years where the women were

subjugated. If a woman smiled at a man, it was considered a sin, because a wife was supposed to be
visible only to her husband.
Although the statement sounds very weird in our modern times, the situation was entirely different during
Brownings times , but all credit goes to him to have brought this entire picture of male supremacy in front
of us in such a lucid manner. There is not a single gory incident, word or utterance. It is a fantastic piece
of literary work!

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General Biography

Robert Browning was born near Southampton Street in Camberwell, a suburb of London, on May 7,
1812. Because of his fathers extensive literary library Browning had at an early age read all the
works of Voltaire, and was greatly influenced by Byron.From his early influences, Browning
developed a great appreciation of literature. He declined an offer for clerkship in the Bank of
England, and expressed to his family his desire to purse a career in poetry. His father fully accepted
his sons decision, and Browning and his parents lived peacefully together until he was married.
Browning frequently participated in literary and artistic circles, and was highly fond of the theater. In
1833, Browning anonymously published his first poem entitled "Pauline." Although Browning found
this first work crude (he would attempt to destroy all the copies of it he could), the Monthly
Repository hailed the poem as marking the advent of a true poet. During 1834, he traveled in
Russia, and in 1835, he published "Paracelsus," a dramatic poem in blank verse. The success of this
poem led to several important friendships, notably with the critic John Forster and the actor William
Charles Macready. In 1837, Brownings play "Strafford" was produced at Covent Garden, with
Macready playing the lead part. In 1838, Browning made his first trip to Italy. His impressions there
inspired his narrative poem "Sordello" (1840). The critical reception of this poem was extremely
hostile and marked the beginning of a decline in his reputation, from which he did not recover for
many years. Between 1841 and 1846, Browning published, under the title Bells and Pomegranates,
a series of plays and verse collections.
In September 1846, Browning married Elizabeth Barrett. In November 1846, the Brownings moved
to Italy, where they remained until Elizabeths death in 1861. They had one child together, Robert
Wiedemann Barrett Browning. In 1850, Browning published his poem "Christmas Eve" and "Easter
Day," followed in 1855 by "Men and Women." After returning to England in 1861, he
published Dramatis Personae (1864), a verse collection, and "The Ring and the Book" (1869), a long
poem that brought about the restoration of his reputation. During the remaining twenty years of his
life, which he spent partly in London and partly in the countryside or abroad, Browning published
numerous poems and verse collections. Brownings last volume of poems,Asolando, was published
on December 12, 1889, the day of his death.

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Soylent Communications
Bloom, Harold, and Paul Fox

Form is Content in "My Last Duchess"

Capturing the Objectified Woman

The narrator of My Last Duchess has a clear desire to own every aspect of his most recent wifes
life. He becomes furious when she finds happiness outside their relationship. He complains
A heart-how shall I say?-too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whateer
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere (22-24)
Here we see the narrator frustrated by his wifes ability to find happiness in all facets of life. This
frustration is explained when the narrator reminds the reader that
t was not
her husbands presence only, called that spot
of Joy into the Duchess cheek (13-15)
His inability to be her sole reason for finding happiness on earth is a huge burden on the narrator. In
this respect one can see his desire to possess the Duchess, not only her person (which he arguably
has through marriage) but of her feelings and emotions. He wants control of these intangibles, often
the only things we have to keep our individuality in a relationship, because he wants her as an object
rather than a wife. The narrator eventually becomes completely infuriated by his
wife seemingly ranking my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/with anybodys gift (33-34). Here
we see the narrators clearly enormous ego (along with the importance of reputation among
Victorians). It is this ego that allows the narrator to feel like he is in a position to own the Duchess;
however, the narrator fails to obtain and control her emotions. While she smiles at him, she still
gives all who pass much the same smile (45). Here the narrator draws the line and decides that
decisive action is necessary. He debates talking to her about how he feels, but sees this as a sign of
weakness which would wound his enormous ego. He rationalizes that even if
she let
Herself be lessoned so
even then would be some stooping; and I choose
never to stoop (39-40, 42-43)

His ego and sole desire to possess his wife leads him to have his wife forever preserved as an
object by means of having her portrait accurately painted. The painting itself is an excellent way to
see the objectification and desire to possess the Duchess because now
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned...
Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed
at starting, is my object (8-9, 52-53)
Thus, he becomes the sole possessor of the smile when he
Gave the commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive (45-46)
Killing her living body gives him sole possession of her, and he sees no difference between his living
wife and the painting. The narrator feels confident that he has captured full possession of the late
Duchess. He has, in truth, effectively objectified her to the point of her life being indistinguishable
from a painting and grown so jealous over her natural happiness that he had her executed. We see
all of these traits, his enormous ego, his want to capture, and his objectification of women in the last
three lines of the poem.
Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me (54-56)
Here we see the narrator effectively compare himself to the Roman god Neptune. One can see the
taming of a sea-horse as a metaphor for the narrators approach to taming his wifes feelings, thus
breaking her like a horse and only allowing her to be happy as he saw fit (and equating all women
with horses, thus requiring 'breaking' and taming). Lastly, we see the narrators want to capture his
wife through this scene being forever set in bronze, where it is immovable and unchangeable.

Discussion Questions:
-Where do you see the objectification of the Duchess (or women in general) in the poem?
-Is the narrator suppose to represent the 'norm' at the time, or is he to be considered an eccentric?
-Can his obsession be considered a conceding that the world is actually a 'woman's world,' despite
what it looks like on the surface?

Structure of "My Last Duchess"

"My Last Duchess" is written in Iambic Pentameter with an AA BB rhyme scheme. Iambic
Pentameter is defined as a structure containing a line of five feet and ten syllables. The syllables are
a combination of alternating unstressed and stressed parts (known as the iamb), creating a ti-TUM
or da DUM sound. Iambic Pentameter is the commonly used structure for traditional verse and verse
dramas.
Example:
A) Thats MY | last DUCH | ess PAINT | ed ON | the WALL
A) Look ING | as IF | she WERE | a- LIVE |I CALL
B) That PIECE | a WON | der NOW | Fra PAN | dolfs HANDS
B) Worked BUS- | i LY | a DAY | and THERE | she STANDS

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James Fenton

Interpretation of Form: Line Breaks

Although the line breaks in My Last Duchess are necessary in order to keep the iambic pentameter
structure of the poem, Brownings choice of where a line is broken off highlights the very character of
the Duke. The line breaks serve as a point of emphasis for the reader. For example,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Fr Pandolfs hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Willt please you sit and look at her? I said (2-4)
In the early lines of the poem the Duke establishes his authority. The break I call and I said gives the
Duke a commanding presence. At the same time, by putting a break after hands, the Duke reaffirms
the idea that the value of Fr Pandolf lies only in his hands. It is almost as if the Duke is trying to
emphasis that it was not Fr Pandolf who created the portrait, but the objects which are his hands.
This also reiterates the idea that the Duke values objects over that which living. This exact same
concept is again highlighted towards the end of the poem in the lines,
Een then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Wheneer I passed her, but who passed without

Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands (42-46)
While the Duke believes he is above everyone else (he chooses never to stoop), he, in actuality,
shows his ignorance. In the line I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together the reader
understands that the Duke is responsible for the Duchess untimely death. However, because of the
Dukes prideful nature (highlighted by the stock he holds in his gift of a nine-hundred-years-old (33)),
he does not realize that his words speak beyond what he wishes them to mean. Much as the Duke
puts on display the portrait of the Duchess, he at the same time is revealing his guilty conscience.
Form as Content in "Porphyria's Lover"
Porphyria's Lover

Summary: Porphyrias Lover was written by Robert Browning in 1836, and was one of his first
dramatic monologes. It is also known to be his most shocking. Not only does the wordplay and tone
create ambiguity throughout the poem, but the poem cannot be fully understood unless the words
are examined closely and taken into consideration. Although the reading of the poem seems very
conventional and simple, the connotations behind the words are a lot more meaningful than one
would expect at first glance. The speaker in the poem does not have a name, and he is the narrator
throughout. The other main character, Porphyria, gets no direct monologue, although you can
decipher many things about her through her body language. The themes, form, and symbolism are
extremely important in this poem due to the fact that we only get the speaker's written point of view.
The speaker lives in a cottage in the countryside and the tone is set immediately by not only the
isolated location but the rain storm and the night-time aspect. His lover, a very pure and nice girl,
Porphyria, comes in out of a storm and makes a fire for her lover. She seems to bring lots of
happiness and cheer as she enters, which makes the outcome of the poem even more creepy.
When she enters, she goes to the speaker and embraces him. This instance, and many more, show
us the true love that Porphyria has for the speaker. We are made aware that she has overcome
many social class barriers to be with him, which has a lot to do with the power struggle between the
two, which ultimately sets up the killing. Porphyria offers the speaker her bare shoulder, suggesting
that the usual Victorian "purity" has been overlooked here, and that may also be a reasoning behind
why the speaker has "lost respect" for her. We are meant to believe that the speaker wanted to
"capture the moment", so he decides to kill his lover by wrapping her hair around her neck three
times. This symbolism and the many metaphors here are important, and are explained later in the
Wiki. He messes around with her corpse once she is dead, and it is obvious that the speaker has
many psychological problems. Does she literally love her to death? He opens her eyes and props
her up, as if the two are still sharing in this moment together. The poem ends by the speaker telling
us that "God has not said a word," leaving us with an ambiguous feeling of what Browning wanted us
to feel.

Form: The dramatic monologue has a very natural language, lacking many dialectial markers, which
you see in some of Browning's later work. The poem captures a main event right after it has
happened. Porphyria is already dead when the speaker beings. Just as the speaker intends to stop
time by killing the girl, so too does the poem seek to pause the consciousness of an instant. The
poem has a highly patterned verse, rhyming ABABB. The metre is iambic tetrametre a form that is
conversational. The stress falls on each second beat. This conversational style suits the dramatic
monologue, emphasising the idea that her lover is talking directly to us. The intense scenes and
asymmetrical patterns of the words that Browning uses suggest maddness which is trying to be
masked. The narrator feels as though he is sane, and tries to give a calm vibe, which goes against
the words that are displayed.
THEMES
Madness: The narrator in "Porphyria's Lover" seems to overload the poem with insanity. When he
sits alone during a storm he "listen|s| with a heart fit to break" (5) letting the reader know early on
that something is wrong, at least emotionally, with the narrator. As the poem progresses and the
narrator begins to believe that Porphyria adores him, the narrator's thoughts begin to take a turn for
the worse. When he decides to strangle her with her own hair, the narrators mental state is no longer
in question, he is mad. By the end of the poem the narrator states, "And all night long we have not
stirred/ And yet God has not said a word!" (59-60). This statement makes it clear that he has spent
the evening with the dead Porphyria, and that he believes there will be no consequences for his
actions; maybe even going so far to say he believes he was right in killing her. It is not healthy or
reasonable to believe that it is tolerable to kill a woman, simply because they are in love with you.
Sex: Throughout "Porphyria's Lover" there is a strong sense of sexuality found in the poem. It
discusses the love and 'passion' that Porphyria and the narrator share together. At one point the
narrator says about Porphyria, "To weak for all her hearts endeavor,/ To set its struggling passion
free/ From pride, and vainer ties dissever,/ And gave herself to me for ever" (22-25). The words
chosen in this scene are very sexual. When reading these four lines one can conclude that
Porphyria is tempted to have sexual intercourse with the narrator, however she is unable to
according to the narrator because of her "pride" and other "vain" beliefs that she has. Even in
Porphyria's death the narrator is able to romanticize the moment. Generally love is gained from a
woman before or when they agree to have sexual relations. According to the narrator however, love
is found in death.
Violence: Violence also plays a large role in the poem. An example of this is in the poem is found in
the weather. The storm that Porphyria leaves when she enters the house is violent, as it, "tore the
elm-tops down for spite" (3). Then Porphyria enters the poem and she is depicted as warm, loving,
and adoring towards the narrator. The narrator responds to this behavior by choosing to kill her. The
narrator explains, "That moment she was mine, mine, fair,/ Perfectly pure and good: I found/ A thing
to do, and all her hair/ In one long string I wound/ three times her little throat around,/ And strangled
her. No pain felt she;"(36-41) The violence in the weather foreshadows the violence that is found in
the house.

Passion: Throughout the poem passion seems to be a motivating force for the narrator, whether it
be in the form of worship or love. The narrator justifies killing Porphyria because she worships him.
Porphyria is said to love the narrator, even though we never hear her voice in the poem. It is said
that her heart is too weak for all the passion she has for the narrator, indicating that passion is seen
as a weakness in the eyes of the narrator. It is only when he feels that he has complete hold over
her that he allows himself to kill her, in an attempt to prolong their moment of passion.

Discussion Questions:
-Why does the poem end with the speaker thinking that he will not have consequences for his
actions?
-At what point in the poem did you begin to distrust the speaker?
-Can you tell the story from Porphyria's perspective?
Tying it all Together
The Unspoken Power of Women in "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess"

While many perceive these two poems as misogynistic fantasy, one could easily read into the power
of women and the weight they hold with the men they're with. The motives behind Brownings
Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess have been thoroughly discussed by U.C. Knoepflmacher
in his article Projection and the Female Other: Romanticism, Browning, and the Victorian Dramatic
Monologue. In this article Knoepflmacher discusses Brownings lifelong urge to represent the
imaginative possession of a female that, according to him, all men indulge in (Knoepflmacher 142).
Here we see Knoepflmacher arguing that while The Narrator and the Duke may attempt to posses
their respective females through killing them, this possession is only imaginary.
Porphyrias Lover offers a shockingly powerful woman as its subject. Unfortunately, this fact is lost
upon many solely because readers are so shocked by the Narrators abrupt actions. Porphyria
shows her strength over the Narrator throughout the first few stanzas of the poem. She made the
cheerless grate/blaze up, and all the cottage warm (PL 8-9). Porphyria is able to change the cold
demeanor of the Narrator, and his cabin, in a matter of minutes. While the Narrator had his own fire
going, because Porphyria doesnt actually start a fire (she just causes his to blaze up), it is
Porphyrias fire that brings warmth to the cabin. It becomes evident that it is not solely the physical
fire warming the Narrators hut, but it is Porphyria who possesses this good-natured warmth that
radiates through the Narrators small dwelling. The Narrator is so enamored by Porphyria that he
becomes upset by Porphyrias inability to give herself to me for ever (PL 25). It is clear that the
Narrator is so obsessed with Porphyria that his love for her demands some sort of ultimatum. Or,
as Igersoll puts it, the Narrator, unable to live without the object of his loveturns the loved one into
an object which represents the deadliness of such love (Igersoll 154). Again, the poem illustrates
Porphyria as the stronger and more sensible character. The Narrator is so unconfident in his ability
to keep the object of his desire, so worried about being abandoned by the stronger female, that he
decides his only chance at keeping Porphyria forever is by killing her. We see that Porphyria may
die, but she dies because the Narrator cannot handle her dominance over him. The Duchess is in a

similar situation with the Duke.

The reason the Duke gives for stopping all smiles, a poetic way of saying killing the Duchess, is
because of his jealousy and enormous ego (MLD 46). He becomes frustrated by the Duchess
hearttoo soon made glad/too easily impressed; she liked whateer/she looked on, and her looks
went everywhere (MLD 22-24). The Duke, like Ingersoll, reads this trait as promiscuity; however, it
can easily be argued that the Duchess just possesses a happy disposition towards life. She enjoys
the world and wishes to bring as much joy to strangers as they bring her. Unfortunately, like the
paranoid Duke, Ingersoll reads these lines as the Duchess desire to give herself indiscriminately to
all her worlds pleasures and thus misreads this innocent passage as sexual promiscuity (Igersoll
156). Instead, it would seem as if the Duke is simply afraid of losing something as jubilant and happy
as the Duchess. In fact, the Duke seems to only fear one thing, and that is his favour at her breast
being overshadowed by the bough of cherries another man had given her or even her love for the
white mule she rides (MLD 25, 27-8). Here it is clear that it is not solely a jealousy of losing the
Duchess to another man, for the Duke is even envious of the Duchess mule. Not only that, but these
allusions to a white mule and a bough of cherries are, according to Knoepflmacher, iconographic
details traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary, someone who could not be further
disassociated with sexual promiscuity (Knoepflmacher 155). It becomes clear that the Duke isnt
afraid of losing the sexual interest of his Duchess, but he is afraid of losing such a powerful person
to any other dedication.
In both cases it becomes clear that while the poem narrates from the insane male point of view,
Browning is clearly writing about the power women have over men. It is a power that was wholly
denied in the Victorian era and is feebly denied in his poetry; however, his intentions seem clear. If
the women weren't so dominate, special, and persuasive to their male counterparts then there would
be no reason to kill them. Instead, it is the males' inability to accept a woman as the dominate half of
a relationship that leads the women to their respective deaths.

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Lacan, Browning, and the Murderous Voyeur: Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess.

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Projection and the Female Other: Romanticism, Browning, and The Victorian Dramatic
Monologue.

Similarities & Differences Between "Porphyria's Lover and My Last Duchess"

Comparing two different pieces of literature may be a difficult task, especially when themes and
metaphores are brought into the picture. Although, it seems as though Robert Browning had many of
the same ideas when creating these different dramatic monologues.
Similarities: Both poems bring up the significance of men. They both describe ways that men deal
with love and relationships with women. Unfortunately, the way that the men in both poems treat
women is not very positive. In each poem, the men are portrayed to be extremely jealous and

overbearing. This, in turn, makes the women seem as though they are the victim. This may be due to
the fact that the men are narrating both poems. Both poems have a plot which revolves around the
idea of a man killing a woman. In both poems, the male seems unsure about his feelings and acts on
his emotions. Although the plots are completely different, the idea behind them is one in the same.
This is also true about the themes. They overlap in the idea of a man's desire for possession over a
woman, although it is a lot more subtle in My Last Duchess. In both poems, the jealousy and hatred
is a figment of imagination for the narrator. There is no obvious sign that the women deserve what is
being done to them. Both poems end with the man getting a "rememberance" of their women.
Although one is a painting, and one is the actual human embodiment.
Browning's language use is similar for both poems. He remains true to his use of plain language,
and use of metaphorical ideas which make these simple words extremely complicated. He sets a
calm tone for both, even though the words contradict that. Although the meter is different in the two,
one thing remains the same. Browning does not vary his use of rhyme scheme. Both poems remain
true to their form, which is due to the fact that they are coming from the same author.
Differences: The obvious difference between the two poems is the form. Both have positive rhyme
schemes, although completely different in meter. My Last Duchess has an AA BB CC rhyme
scheme, where Porphyria's Lover ABABB CDCDD rhyme scheme. As far as plot, the ideas are the
same, although the reason for the killing is not. In Porphyria's Lover, the narrator wants to capture
the woman as she is, and make the idea of her last forever. In My Last Duchess the narrator is more
angry and annoyed by the woman. In My Last Duchess, the narrator does not feel as though he is
"lesser" socially and in value than his lady, which is what is happening in Porphyria's Lover. Instead,
the main idea behind his killing is jealousy of other men, not of social standing. Although both
capture the beauty of their women in the end, My Last Duchess portrays a painting rather than an
actual human embodiment.
Pieces of the Puzzle
The Importance of the Dramatic Monologue

A dramatic monologue is a piece of performed writing that helps the reader to understand how the
speaker is feeling. Dramatic monologues are sometimes confused with a soliloquy, so beware of the
difference. In a soliloquy the character is speaking to themselves, not to the audience.
Poets chose to write dramatic monologues to express a point of view through the words of a
character. What makes them so different is that the actual opinions that the character in the poem
has are not the same as the beliefs the author has. Usually, the speaker is trying to be deceiving,
and sometimes is even flat out lying. For instance, Browning's "The Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's
Lover". Browning is considered to me the master of the dramatic monologue. Sometimes what the
speaker doesn't say is just as revealing and interesting as what he or she does say in the poem.
Questions to ask yourself when trying to understand a dramatic monologue:
Who is the speaker talking to and why?
What tactics is the speaker using to make his case?
Does the speaker seem to change his mind during the poem?

Historical References in "My Last Duchess"

The Duke in My Last Duchess alludes to the real life duke Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara as can be
surmised by the poem beginning with the word FERRARA (a direct reference to Alfonso II). The
Duchess in this case would refer to Lucrezia de Medici, whom the Duke married when she was 14.
Two years after they were married, Lucrezia died through what was suspected at the time of being
poisoned. Much like the Duke in Brownings poem, Alfonso II was known as a great appreciator of
art. It can be interpreted that Browning uses his fictional Duke to personify Alfonso II as cruel, and
someone who objectifies everything around him (Lucrezia de Medici, for example) as objects akin to
art (in this case, the portrait of the Duchess). This concept is further stressed by the fact that the
reader does not know if the Duke in the poem is describing his actual deceased wife, or the portrait
he puts on display. For example, in the line,
That piece a wonder, now Fr Pandolfs hands
worked busily a day, and there she stands. (3-4)
Here the Duke refers to the portrait as she, as if it were a living embodiment of what it is meant to
represent. Throughout the rest of the poem the Dukes discerning between the portrait of the
Duchess and the actual Duchess becomes more ambiguous. In the line, how such a glance came
there are you to turn and ask Sir, t was not her husbands presence only, called that spot of joy
into the Duchess cheek (12-15), it is not clearly expressed if the Duke is explaining the glace in the
Duchess that Fr Pendolf creates, or the glance created by the Duke in his wife. Even in the very
last line of the poem the Duke reaffirms the notion that he holds objects above those living when he
explains, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! (5556). Because of his perceived power, the Duke believes he can do the seemingly impossible- tame a
sea horse. Furthermore, this event he preserves in the artificial medium of bronze, strengthen his
belief that he has power over all things.

(8)
(9)

Francis O'Gorman
Jennifer Speake and Thomas Goddard

Symbolism and References in "Porphyria's Lover"

Hair: Porphyria's hair is the main image in the poem. It is the main element in how the story unfolds.
One would think that the speaker has a hair fetish, but during the Victorian era, it was common to
have an "obsession" with hair. Some believe that this comes from the fact that during the Victorian
era, women started wearing their hair down and keeping it long, and in the past they always had to
keep it short and usually wear a wig. Browning definitely takes this hair thing to the next level in
Porphyria's Lover. One might wonder why he used her hair to kill her rather than any other
technique. There is no explanation for why he has chosen to do this, although one can concentrate

on various passages from the poem and create assumptions. Not only does he use the hair as his
way of killing her, but he also uses the hair to create metaphors for other ideas.
For example: In Line 13 Browning writes "After entering soundlessly from the storm, Porphyria takes
off her wet coat and hat, and lets her damp hair fall."
It is obvious that Browning meant more here than the text says. His use of the word "fall" makes us
believe that he already had been thinking about killing her as soon as she came that night. In the
Victorian era, the idea of "falling" for women usually relates to the idea of converting to modernity by
"falling away from purity". Now, the reader is forced to question why the speaker is looking at his
lover as an impure woman. Did the speaker lose respect for his lover because she gave her body to
him? We are forced to wonder what the significance of combining the hair obsession with the fallen
idea in this passage. This same idea of purity is obvious due to the fact that the speaker continues to
point out that Porphyria's hair is "yellow". Once again, the soft and light colors symbolize purity. In
Line 20, Porphyria is spreading her hair over the speaker. This symbolizes her purity taking over
him. Is he intimidated by her purity? The fact that the poem ends by the speaker killing Porphyria by
her hair forces us to question if Browning meant for us to believe that Porphyria inevitably killed
herself due to her fall from purity.
The Elements: The weather and the use of nature is something that is extremely important
throughout the poem. In the very first line, the weather sets the mood for the entire poem. The poem
beings, "The rain set early in tonight". After we finish the poem, it is obvious why Browning set the
scene up this way. The weather is an echo of the "storm" that is going on inside the speaker's house
that night. It is common during the Victorian era to have the outside world reflect the inner mood of
characters in a story or poem. Here, this remains extremely true. The mood would not be the same if
this were to take place during the day in a bright and sunny room. Also, the weather becomes
personified throughout the first few lines, which makes us really feel the emotion and effect of the
weather and it's significance. For example: In Line 2 Browning says, "The sullen wind was soon
awake". This personification not only captures up, but ends up tying together many of the other
metaphors once we see the end result and anger in the tone. It is funny because the rhyme scheme
of the poem is so happy, although we can still feel the pain and anger that is present through this
personification of the elements. Line 3 is extremely important for the same reasons. "It tore the elmtops down for spite"... the elm-tops here are a metaphor for Porphyria. The speaker does, in fact,
tear her down.. just for spite. For all we know, the girl didn't do anything to him and this is more of a
psychological thing. It seems as though the speaker is spiteful for Porphyria, and this line not only
captures us into the weather idea, but sets us up for the literal spite that is soon to come. By Line 7,
the personification of the elements make us understand what is going on, and once again, sets us
up for what to expect. "She shut the cold out and the storm".. this forces us to believe that Porphyria
has been shutting the speaker out of her life, and he is resentful towards her. All of these metaphors
are extremely important in uncovering what Browning wanted to do with this amazing piece of
poetry.

Body Language: One thing that is important about the poem is that we don't get to see or feel any
of Porphyria's emotions since she doesn't get to speak. This is written completely from the speaker's
point of view. Because of this, it is important to notice any and all signs of body language which
Porphyria gives so we can get some sense of what she is going through, and may be able to
emphathyze with her since she doesn't get any direct dialogue.
In Line 6 Porphyria "glided in", so right away we are to feel as though she is this angelic, perfect
woman who is just coming in gracefully and has not done anything wrong. Once again, we are
reminded of the impact of her purity here. She proceeds to light the fire and we still feel as though
she has done nothing wrong. One of the most important aspects of Porphyria's way of expressing
herself are her eyes. When we get to Line 31 the speaker "looked up at her eyes happy and
proud"... he is noting how much love that she has for him in her eyes. They always say that the eyes
are the window to the soul, so at this moment, the reader is drawn into her emotion and it is obvious
that Porphyria was expecting the night to unfold differently. Poor girl. He continues to say "she
worshipped me", which introduces us to the obvious power struggle, but that will be spoken of at a
different time. Whether or not she knew that she was going to be killed, she still showed her
admiration through him through her eyes. She really, really loves him.
Her eyes are brought up again when we get to Line 43. The speaker comapres her eyes to a closed
flower bud with a bee inside. This makes us wonder exactly what Browning wanted us to feel when
we got to this line. This is right after he had strangled her. Is he suggesting that her eyes were
bulging out because of what he had just done? Or is he suggesting that if she had opened her eyes
again that he would be "stung" by the love that she displays when she looks at him. The alliteration
with the "b's" here make us feel as though this description of her tells a lot about her, although it is
ambiguous what exactly Browning wants us to feel. Either way, she is dying at this point, and all the
speaker can remark on is his lover's eyes. Line 45 is extremely ambiguous, also. "Laighed the blue
eyes without a stain". We are forced to wonder what the speaker's fascination with Porphyria's eyes
are. This is definitely a reoccuring symbol of their love. Just like the hair, the color of the eyes is
important. In the Victorian era, blue symbolized heaven. Porphyria is continued to be portrayed as
this angelic woman. Her eyes are laughing.. does that mean that she is happy that he has killed her?
Is she at peace? Either way, this enhances the "Craziness" and obsession of the speaker. Since the
eyes are not stained, we assume that the killing was a very easy, smooth process. Once again,
signifying purity.
Burning: The image of fire, or something burning is used at both the beginning and the end of the
poem. In the beginning it is used to describe how Porphyria is able to warm the 'cheerless' cottage
by making a fire. Towards the end of the poem it is used to describe the narrators kiss on Porphyria's
cheek, even though she is no longer alive, her cheek is able to blush. In both scenes this burning
image portrays Porphyria as a warm and loving character, but it does the opposite for the narrator.
He is the person who lives in the cold and 'cheerless' cottage and the person who places the burning
kiss on a woman he killed.

Shmoop University Inc (5)

Neptunes Piece: Victorian Marriage in

the Context of Brownings My Last
Duchess
April 29, 2016 by hollins 1 Comment

The Victorian Period was simultaneously a time of great growth and progress in the fight
for womens suffrage, and a time of extreme oppression and discrimination for married
women. Before the coining of the term Feminism, in the reign of Queen Victoria, women
were fighting for the right to be individuals in society. Robert Brownings My Last
Duchess (1842) is a symbolic example of the tyranny that these women were battling
within their marriages and work. The speaker of the poem is a Duke, describing a
portrait of his dead Duchess, whom he supposedly had killed. The work explores
feminist themes, and the struggle that women faced as wives in the 19 th century.
The common opinion on womens place was that they, had to recognize their inferiority
to men, acknowledging that their lesser mental power was proportional to their inferiority
in bodily strength women had to use their influence to ensure that their husbands
behaved properly and carried out their familial and social role (Caine 44). In other
words, a womans only purpose and meaning was to serve her husband, and that was
all she was capable of doing. An anti feminist named Frederick Harrison once wrote
feminist writer Josephine Butler, saying that no occupations ought to be open to
women, not even light trades, they ought never to work, nor have the means of
working working men do good to drive women out (Caine 48). Women were only
good for marriage, and anything beyond that was considered improper and at times
even unbiblical and selfish.
The Married Womens Property Act of 1870 would eventually allow for women in
marriages to own their own property, however, Browning was writing in 1842, before any

of this transpired (Caine 43). When he was writing, women became the property of their
husbands the moment they said I do. Until 1877 a woman was still legally the chattel
of her husband, and could find that she lost a degree of independence when she left her
fathers house to marry (Cooper 18). Within this historical context, I contend that
Browning is painting the picture of the Victorian marriage, using the characters of the
Duke and the Duchess to symbolize the crushing imprisonment of the Victorian wife,
and her eventual descent into the status of property.
Browning uses the character of the Duke to symbolize the greater problem of domestic
abuse and antifeminism in Victorian England. The Duke is the speaker in the poem, and
fittingly, does all the talking. Because of this, he is able to depict the Duchess from only
his perspective, uncontested. Earl Ingersoll argues that when people look at one
another, they give themselves a form of power over the person they are looking at.
When you look at someone objectively, you are able to reduce them to a surface level
aesthetic. He claims that the Duke has power over the Duchess because he can look at
her objectively, exercising his power over her through an unchecked gaze (Ingersoll 56).
In line three, the Duke refers to the Duchess as a piece. Ashby Crowder argues that,
When the Duke says, I call / That piece a wonder, now . . ., he is referring to the
woman who is depicted in the fresco, which Fra Pandolf painted on the wall The
word piece, here and in Brownings poem, refers to a woman or a girl, a common
Renaissance sense of the word (only later did the term acquire a depreciatory sense)
(Crowder). Crowder is arguing that Browning used the word piece to describe the
Duchess because of its Renaissance origins. However, I must respectfully disagree. I
believe that Browning used that specific word, piece because that is how the Duke
sees the Duchess; as an objective, aesthetic piece of artwork he owns and controls.
Just like Ingersoll argues that the Duchess comes under the power of the Dukes gaze, I
am arguing that even in life, the Duchess was only ever to him a piece in his collection,
a part of his property.
By turning the Duchess into something he can just look at an enjoy without worrying
about her threatening him or being unfaithful to him, The Duke makes of her yet
another beautiful, silent object to be looked at, like the bronze Neptune which Claus of
Innsbruck cast for him (Ingersoll 56). In this quote, Ingersoll is referring to the final lines

of the poem when the speaker shows his guest a bronze statue of Neptune taming a
seahorse. Browning is drawing a connection between Neptune and the Duke, showing
that the Duke thinks of his Duchess as a wild creature to be tamed. This analogy also
gives the Duke a position of god-like power over the Duchess, who becomes an
unwilling slave to his gazes.
I contend that Browning is arguing that women in Victorian marriages are forced to be
uninteresting, soulless, and robotic slaves for their husbands every whim. Sarah Ellis, a
Victorian suffrage activist, was quite convinced of this fact when she wrote of marriage,
Depend upon it, if your faults were never brought to light before, they will be so now
Depend upon it, if you were never humble and insignificant before, you will have to be
so now. Yes, you had better make up your mind to be uninteresting as long as you
live (Caine 51). The Duchess was killed because of her smile, her gaiety, her youth.
He kills her for being her own person, separate from her husband and his great title.
She did not worship him, and for this, he sacrificed her.
In contrast to the Dukes ample monologue, the Duchess is literally and figuratively
voiceless in the poem. He has silenced her under the weight of his oppression. In lines
13-24, the Duke recalls how she was easily impressed and liked whateer she looked
upon (Browning 13-24). He describes how she blushed and interacted with the male
servants in the same manner that she interacted with him, thereby putting him on their
level in his mind. He is suggesting here that the Duchess was morally loose because of
her innocent sexuality. To a large extent, the proponents of Victorian domestic ideology
equated womens moral purity with their innocence and hence with their confinement in
the home (Caine 52). Women could not be sexual beings, and if they were, they were
considered impure and immoral. This is a part of the Dukes disdain for the Duchess. He
describes how, twas not her husbands presence only, called that spot of joy into the
Duchess cheek (Browning lines 13-15). He is implying that her only joy and pleasure
should be in him and her marriage to him. Nothing else should matter to her beyond
being his wife.
However, while the Duke seems to have broken his Duchess, there are moments of
rebellion visible within the poem. For instance, There she stands as if alive (Browning
line 46). The Duke repeats this phrase several times in different ways. I believe this

phrase is significant because to the Duke, the Duchess is still alive. She is alive to him,
but he has tamed her into submission. He has molded her into the wife that he always
wished she was, and he has accomplished this by turning her into a piece of his art
collection. However, this line is even more significant for telling the reader that the
Duchess is standing. Shifra Hochberg discusses this detail in depth
her gaze or earnest glance (line 8) out of the portrait, which enables her to
constitute herself as active subject rather than passive object of the male gaze of
desire Moreover, in its appropriation of the male iconography of power, epitomized by
the phallo-erect stance of the Duchess in the paintingindeed, we are told twice that
she stands (4 & 46)the portrait resists and subverts the Dukes attempt to textualize
and interpret the Duchess after her death (Hochberg 78).
The Duchess is described twice as standing while the Duke asks his listener to sit and
says that he himself will never stoop (Browning lines 5 and 43). The fact that she is
standing and smiling implies that even in death, she continues to rebel against his
heavy hand.
Through Brownings My Last Duchess, we are given a glimpse of the struggle of the
Victorian woman, but also a literal picture of her silent strength. Though she is beaten
into submission, still she stands in rebellion to the heavy hand that suppresses her
individuality. Even as a mere piece she continues to influence and haunt her husband.
Though she is silenced, still she smiles.
http://litanalysis.suzannechurchill.com/s16/2016/04/29/neptunes-piece-victorianmarriage-in-the-context-of-brownings-my-last-duchess/
Two Personalities in My Last Duchess

The poem "My Last Duchess" is about a powerful Duke, and his
beautiful, flirtatious wife who has two different personalities, one
that was reality and the other was the lady in the painting. The poem begins
and ends with him mourning the loss of his deceased Duchess, but from the
way that the mighty Duke speaks, he knows more about her death than he leads
us to believe. The Duke chooses his word very carefully, when he talks to
his friend about the painting of his wife. He only drops small hints, to his

friend about the death of his Duchess. Which leads me to believe that the
Duke killed his wife, or had someone to put her to her death.
As the Duke speaks of his Duchess, in the beginning, he sounds extremely
compassionate and caring towards her. The Duke had an absolute love for his
Duchess as most husbands and wives do. He sounded so proud of her and the
beauty that she posed: almost like she was a trophy. Despite all of the
pride and excitement that he showed towards her, there was an element of
distrust that lingered inside of his mind.

The Duchess created the element of distrust that was bestowed into the
marriage. The Duke explained that his wife was extremely flirtatious and
easily impressed. The Duke said, "Too easily impressed: she liked whate'er
she looked on, and her looks went everywhere." This line is telling about
the Duchess, as she was when she was alive. The Duke believes that his
Duchess is a cheat, and that she doesn't try to hide it either. A husband
can tell when his wife is interested in another man, cause she once looked
upon him in that way she is looking upon her new male interest. The Duchess
probably didn't know that her husband was watching her, while she was taking
interest to her lovers. She may have thought that she and her male interest at the time were alone,
cause not any woman, in that era would have been seen with another man
besides their husbands.
Given the fact that this poem dates back to the Duke and Duchess era, so
they lived in an old fashioned world. The Duke believes his wife is not
being faithful to him.
But back in this era you couldn't take her court, file for a divorce, or
even confront her other lovers. The royal family would kill their wives if
they were not being faithful or if they could not have a child.
To avoid these complications, the royal Duke killed his Duchess. It had to
be a hard decision to make, but back then it was probably more common.
Another common factor in this era was for men to have several wives. The
story ends with the Duke talking about a new wife in the soon to be future.
To live back in this day and time would have been frightening for a woman,
and especially if a Duke was interested in you. It would have been even more
terrifying, knowing that his wife had been murdered.

How to Cite this Page

MLA Citation:
"Two Personalities in My Last Duchess." 123HelpMe.com. 13 Jul 2016
<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=4087>.

My Last Duchess
Length: 1085 words (3.1 double-spaced pages)
Rating: Red (FREE)
----------------------------------

Robert Browning is the author of "My Last Duchess" and he shows the audience how it is a dramatic
monologue. In a class lecture, the professor had mentioned that the poem is set in the 15th century.
During that time, it was common for a young woman to be arranged in a marriage. As the poem unfolds,
the audience learns the speaker of the poem, Duke Ferrara, is talking to another male character and
begins to tell the story of his previous wife. As they are standing in front of the portrait of the Duke's last
wife, now dead, the Duke talks about her imperfections. The reader discovers that the ex-wife's
"imperfections" were qualities such as generosity, courtesy to those who served her, and an overall
respected woman. What follows are examples on the nature and personality of the Duke.
Browning lets the reader to believe that the Duke has found flaws of his previous wife because she did
not respect his rank and his power. More importantly, the Duke did not approve the behavior of his
previous wife and will tolerate it again. As the story begins, the Duke is speaking to the other male
character about the portrait of his previous wife. A painter by the name of Fra Pandolf had painted the
portrait and it is said that Pandolf's hands may have wandered as well. The following lines can make the
audience wonder about the relationship between Pandolf and the Duke's ex-wife. "That piece a wonder,
now: Fra Pandolf's hands / Worked busily a day, and there she stands" (lines 3-4). The Duke is now left to
wonder that if his ex-wife and Pandolf may have had a relationship of some sort. In the poem, the Duke
does not reveal the painting to any person. He is the only person that is allowed to reveal the portrait from
the curtains that cover it. Although he does not show anyone the portrait, the Duke had revealed the
painting to the other character.
"The depth and passion of its earnest glance
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst" (8-11).

The audience is learning very early in the poem that the Duke questioned his relationship with the
Duchess in the portrait. It is at this moment in the poem that the Duke begins to tell the reasons he did
not trust his ex-wife.
The poem implies that the Duchess' cheek is rosy in the portrait, but it is not from her husband's
presence. The Duke and the other character begin to have a conversation,
"Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 'twas not
He husbands' presence only, called that spot
Of Joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say 'Her mantel laps
Over my Lady's wrist too much" (13-17)
Not only does the Duke begin to wonder about the portrait, but also he then begins to list flaws that the
Duchess had. According the Duke, these flaws were not qualities that other "real" Duchess' would have.
Because this marriage may have been appointed, the Duchess may have not learned the lifestyle of a
"true" Duchess as other young women may have learned. The next few lines can sum up on the "flaws"
that the Duchess had.
"The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace -- all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men,--good; but thanked
Somehow...I know not how...as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name" (27-33).
When the reader is reading the passage, it is obvious to see that the Duke has listed many "flaws" of the
Duchess. A man had picked some cherries from orchard and she had ridden around the land in a mule. A
Royal family usually rides around on a horse, not a lower class animal such as a mule. A family with such

high class does not do physical labor such as physically go to the orchard. The Duchess was very
courteous to the help around the house because she would thank them for their work. In other terms, the
Duke did not believe that the Duchess was not mean enough. The people that worked for the family
respected the Duchess because she was very kind to them, but in the 15th century, people were divided
into class systems. The Duke and Duchess were highly ranked whereas the servants ranked at the
bottom so it was very common for the high class to be snobby and rude to others.
As the poem continues, the Duke explains how he would see the Duchess smiling at everyone. He says,
"Oh, Sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I have commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive (43-47).
It is obvious that this statement in the poem shows that the Duke does not trust his own wife. The Duke
believes that just because she is generous to all the people that she encounters that she is disobeying
him, his honor, and ranking. The poem never states that the Duke had his wife murdered, but it is implied
and the other character is able to sense that he had done so. As the poem nearly ends, the Duke makes
a statement, "Sir! Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, though of rarity" (54-55). It seems that
the Duke is comparing his past Duchess and future Duchess' to be as if it where to tame a seahorse. The
Duchess' is a generous, kind woman and this poem shows that she was the victim.
In conclusion, the Duke believes that his ex-wife was not loyal enough and did not meet the standards of
a Duchess. Therefore, he had his wife murdered. The ex-wife is the victim although she had not done
anything wrong. The question remains: Will the next Duchess meet the Duke Ferrara's standards? If not,
she too will be a victim. Although the Duchess had not met the standards, the Duke too is a victim. Will a
Duchess ever meet his standards? The Duke had murdered a sweet, innocent, generous young woman
because she did not meet the standards of a Duchess at that time. Therefore, the Duke has lost a
genuine woman due to 15th century standards.

How to Cite this Page

MLA Citation:
"My Last Duchess." 123HelpMe.com. 13 Jul 2016
<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=109120>.

The Power of the Duke in "My Last

Duchess"
by Robert James Reese, 2004

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, Fr 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 repeatedly
mentions the name Fr Pandolf suggests a self-pride in the fact that he
was able to hire such a famous painter. Fr Pandolf is actually a fictional
name, but we can assume that in the poem he is a celebrated artist. The
duke repeats his name as a form of bragging about his wealth.
The duke also shows off his control in the beginning parts of the poem. He
adds a parenthesis in his speech, "since none puts by/The curtain I have
drawn for you, but I" (lines 9-10). Here he says that nobody but him has

the power to display the painting. But this is obvious and did not need to
be said. Since the painting is in his home and he owns it, of course he is
the one who would draw the curtain to display it. He only adds this
statement to highlight his control. As the poem progresses, we find more
mention of the duke's love of control and realize that it is a very important
thing to him. This line also is important because it shows that the duchess
(now in the painting) is under complete control of the duke and can only
be seen by others when he wishes it.
It was the lack of control that the duke felt over his wife that caused him
to kill her. "She had/A heart--how shall I say?--too soon made glad,/Too
easily impressed" (lines 21-23). The duke felt that his wife was too
appreciative of the attention that other men paid her. He did not openly
accuse her of adultery, but condemned her flirtatious behavior. He
claimed, "all and each/Would draw from her alike the approving
speech,/Or blush, at least" (lines 29-31). To the duke, it seemed as if
every man who passed his wife elicited a special, intimate reaction. The
duke wanted his wife to smile at no one but himself.
The climax of the poem occurs in these lines where he describes what
happened when his wife's affection continued to be non-exclusive:
Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. (lines 43-46)
The duchess' smiles to the other men aroused an anger in the duke so
powerful that he gave commands to have her killed. His jealousy
stemmed from his perceived lack of control that he had over his wife. Now
that she was dead and existed only in the painting, he could have
absolute control over her. His controlling nature overwhelmed his morality
and love for his wife. I think Browning chose to have the duke speak about
his wife not because she was important to him, but because the story of
her murder displayed the controlling character of the duke so well. The
unemotional and nonchalant way in which the duke tells the story further
accentuates his character.

The final lines support the suggestion that the duchess was not the main
focus of the poem. The duke says to the emissary that he has been
speaking to as they are leaving his house, "Notice Neptune,
though,/Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,/Which Claus of Innsbruck
cast in bronze for me" (lines 54-56). The duke's description of this statue
is strikingly similar to that which he gave of his duchess' portrait. He
again highlights the name of the artist and the rarity of the work. And, we
can assume that although this is the end of the poem, it is not the end of
the dialogue between the duke and the emissary. Just as we did not
receive the beginning of the conversation from Browning, we do not
receive the ending. It is quite possible that after the poem ended, the
duke continued went on to describe the statue of Neptune in as much
detail as he did the portrait. The poem focused on this segment because
it best highlighted the duke's controlling character.
The arrogance of the duke was best exhibited by subtle comments that he
made throughout his speech. He scoffed at the idea that his former
duchess could rank "My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/With
anybody's gift" (lines 33-34). Here, the duke made it sound as if he was
being generous when he agreed to marry his wife. He felt that she should
have recognized more clearly what a wonderful gift he had given her. Just
a moment later, he reasserts his superiority by stating that "I
choose/Never to stoop" (lines 42-43). The duke feels that he is too
important to even be bothered with small annoyances. He will not stoop
to the lowness of asking his wife to cease a behavior that is obviously
upsetting him. Instead, he orders someone else to kill her because even
the act of killing her is beneath him.
Even in statements that on the surface appear to be humble, the duke
furthers his arrogance. He says, "Even had you skill/In speech--(which I
have not)--" (lines35-36). There is a great deal of irony in this statement
that overwhelms any modesty that might have existed. The duke's claim
not to have skill in speech lies in the middle of a speech expertly
constructed with rhyming lines, regular meter, and imperious diction. An
AABB rhyme scheme is found regularly throughout the poem.
Extemporaneously coming up with the words necessary to carry out such
a rhyme scheme would require a great deal skill in speech. An iambic
pentameter is used throughout almost the entire speech. This also
requires a fair deal of skill, for even though iambic speech is common in

English, keeping it so well regulated is difficult. Finally, the diction further

shows the skill of the duke. He chooses words that express his authority
and his education along 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.
http://robertjamesreese.com/essays/the-power-of-the-duke-in-my-lastduchess

The Balance of Power Between

Men and Women in Robert
Browning's Poems
By Alina

Saminsky

2010, VOL. 2 NO. 02 | PG. 1/1

CITE REFERENCES PRINT

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KEYWORDS:
Poetry English Poetry Robert BrowningMy Last Duchess Porphyria's LoverGender

Robert Brownings two poems, Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess, have some striking
similarities. Both feature men who seem mentally disturbed; Further, both of these men had
relationships with "strong" women who, despite apparently loving them, they each ended up killing.
And interestingly enough, both men seem to be much happier after they have committed these
murders.

Yet the most fascinating similarity is that both of these poems deal with power dynamics based on
gender. Initially, the females have the power and the men do not. The men feel threatened by this, so
the way that they choose to take this power is to kill the women. The power switches from the women
to the men, and murder is the tool used to make this movement.
The first observation that supports this point is that originally the men do not have power. One way
that this is demonstrated to the reader is the authors choice to make the men insane. In Porphyrias
Lover, the man is paranoid. He describes the storm that is going on around him in the same manner
that one describes a person, The sullen wind was soon awake,/It tore the elm-tops down for
spite,/And did its worst to vex the lake (57), which makes him seem suspicious. The reader also
realizes that while there is this storm going on, the man is sitting alone in his cottage in the dark
without any heat. This is clearly abnormal behavior. The murder of his lover is also quite abnormal.
By having his characters commit murder, Browning automatically makes them out to be unstable.
And finally, the way that the man plays with the corpse of his lover is strange and disturbing, which
adds to his already psychotic character.
In My Last Duchess, the craziness of the main character is a bit more subtle. Although the Duke
also is very suspicious and commits murder, his tone and the way that he describes his situation is
the most interesting predictor of his lunacy. The way that he unintentionally reveals himself to both
the reader and to the marriage broker, his use of modesty, and the way that he contradicts himself is
very strange. It is as if the Duke isnt able to control what he says and does. He also seems to have a
problem with the way that his wife acted, even though her actions seem normal to the reader. What
seems to be naivety, playfulness, and joy are interpreted by the Duke as promiscuity,
inappropriateness, and rudeness.
The man in Porphyrias Lover also lacks power because he is of a lower social status than the
woman. It is stated that the woman attended a feast, and the reader can infer that the man was not

invited to this feast. The Duke, on the other hand, is of a high social class, but the way that he keeps
emphasizing his power makes him seem, ironically, less powerful. He describes his last name as his
gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name (59), which his wife was foolish enough to [rank]/My gift
with anybodys gift (59). He sounds like he is bragging, which makes the reader lose respect for
him.
Also, the Duke reveals that he did not like the painting of his wife in the beginning: I call/That piece a
wonder, now (59). The now at the end shows that he was not pleased with the portrait earlier.
Perhaps this is because t was not/Her husbands presence only, [that] called that spot/Of joy into
the Duchess cheek (59). Maybe he was jealous that it was not him, but rather the painter, that made
her blush. And finally, a small but significant detail at the end of the poem is brought up where the
Duke shows the broker a statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse. Perhaps that is the way that the
Duke sees his situation; a big, powerful man like himself tames a small, weak little creature like his
wife. He is proud of his accomplishment of disciplining his wife, yet the image of a huge person
taming a little animal seems bizarre, unusual and cruel to the reader.
Obviously the men are not powerful in the beginning, so it is the women who hold this role. When
Porphyria enters the house, she immediately takes control: She shut the cold out and the
storm,/And kneeld and made the cheerless grate/Blaze up, and all the cottage warm (57). Before
she even speaks, she restores order and puts everything in its place. After she does this, she lets
down her hair, another symbol of power. In fact, this representation of power is what the man uses to
kill her. He takes her power and uses it to destroy her. After she lets down her hair, she sits down,
puts her arm around the man, and places his cheek on her shoulder. She is performing all the
actions here, while the man is being completely passive. She is moving the man around,
manipulating him.
The womans power is also seen in her decision to attend the feast rather than be with her lover. This
asserts a sort of dominance in the relationship. The woman in My Last Duchess also holds the
power. Its clear that the Duchess behaved how she wanted to behave. She did not worry about the
response of her husband or anyone else, and she seemed to do whatever it was that made her
happy. Her outlook clearly threatened the Duke, which led to him confronting his wife. When he did,
she did not accept his criticisms or promise to change her behavior. No, she made excuses and
fought back. These are all powerful actions which further angered the Duke.

Both of these men reached a certain point when they could no longer handle that they did not have
power, while the women did. The way that they dealt with this situation was by using murder. After
Porphyrias lover strangles Porphyria, he instantly becomes in control. He warily oped her lids
untightend next the tress/About her neck proppd her neck up (58). He is now the one who is
manipulating her body. He also believes that his actions are completely justified, since he says that
God has not objected to his crime: And all night long we have not stirrd,/And yet God has not said a
word! (58). Not only does he have power, but he also has Gods approval.
The Duke also gains control after killing his wife. The Duchess has been immortalized in a painting
which the Duke is in possession of. He kills the Duchess into a work of art, which he puts behind a
curtain. And he gets to decide when to draw that curtain, since none puts by/The curtain drawn for
you, but I (59), thereby controlling who gets to look at the painting and who the Duchess gets to look
at. When she was alive, she was able to make her own decisions, but now that she is dead, the
Duke gets to control every aspect of her. It seems as though he prefers the painting version of his
wife over his actual wife. He mentions a few times that she looks as if she were alive (59) or There
she stands/As if alive (59). The Duke seems to think of this painting as his wife, just in a more
submissive version.
At some point in these two poems, both the males and the females hold power, yet there is a
difference in the types of power that they have. Power, in fact, is a very general term that can be
described in many different ways. There are two main types of power that are visible in these two
poems. The first kind, which is seen in the men, is power over someone else. It is the ability to
control another person. The men are seeking to control the womens behavior, as they are offended
and threatened by it. The second type of power, which is demonstrated by the women, is the ability
and freedom to do what one wants to do. The women do not seek to control their partners, they just
want the freedom to behave however they choose to. These two types of power are significant
because they reflect what each of the characters value. Because of this contrast in values, the
women receive the sympathy and respect of the reader. Therefore, although the men end up with the
power, it is the women who seem to win.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/161/the-balance-of-powerbetween-men-and-women-in-robert-brownings-poems

Voyeurism theme reference

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=PZ7mWk7zo8C&pg=PA208&lpg=PA208&dq=voyeurism+in+my+last+du
chess&source=bl&ots=Awm3xLVvtI&sig=ZSlLrp4HswBbEgJHj3zJ1NWPGw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiE7rzCg_DNAhUBtI8KHcQGCU0Q6AEINTAE
#v=onepage&q=voyeurism%20in%20my%20last%20duchess&f=false