My Last Duchess Analysis

• My Last Duchess


  The poem is set in a time and a place (the Italian resistance) when art was heavily valued within society. Browning was interested in this time period and results in the focus of the poem being the Duke's artwork; specifically the portrait he had made of his, now dead, first wife.
• Conflict


  • The conflict within the poem is subtle but displays itself in the power the Duke has over the Duchess' life. There is also a conflict between how the Duke presents himself to the outside world versus his Duke's true character.
  • Conflict arose when the Duke realised he couldn't control his wife, and he retaliated by killing her, which is an abuse of his power and control.
• The reader's interest is invoked from "My Last Duchess", because it raises questions such as: why is it his "last Duchess? Is she dead? If so, how has she died?. The speaker of the Duke establishes control from the very start, from the possessive pronoun "my".
• The Duke is emphasising and boasting about his wealth, with reference the famous artists that painted for him – "Fra Pandolf" / "Claus of Innsbruck" to demonstrate his influence and wealth
• Unreasonable to expect her to only gain joy from her husband. He expects to be her entire life and purpose in life. Her life has the aim of pleasing and being pleased by him. Complete domination of her life. Also presents him as paranoid
• This line is ominous as it suggests the Duke viewing the subject of his dead wife as a piece of art rather than sentimentally as his wife, immediately suggesting she was only ever a possession to him.
• The Duke forces his visitor to sit down with the rhetorical question, which implied that the Duke is in sole control of who sees her. The opening immediately sets up a sinister tone for the piece, as the phrase "as if she were alive" shows that the Duchess has died.
• Shows he has power over others and people are scared of him, so as a consequence wouldn't dare ask him about the painting.
• Fra is the prefix for a monk - this shows how much envy has corrupted the duke, as he believes it is possible his wife would flirt with a monk.
• Shows he holds status and power within society, boasting about this but also a reflection about how the woman is now owned by her husband, as she has to take his name and then loses all legal rights.
• Euphemism for her murder. Shows the power he has – can just kill her without concequence, but also shows such an overreaction – murder is a sign of lack of control.
• He wants his wealth and status to be more important. Shows his materialism – doesn't value natural beauty and natural pleasures of the earth. Sees her liking other things as a criticism of himself. Presents him as insecure. Expects her to reserve her joy and smiles for him alone. Hurts his pride if he is not unique. Reliant on controlling women to make himself feel powerful and desirable. Sense of underlying vulnerability.
• This line shows the Duke's male entitled pride: he won't lower himself to talk to his wife and confront her about what he fears, as it would show him as paranoid and weak. It also suggests there's no point arguing with a woman as she is so far below him, and incapable of rational thinking, AND he shouldn't have to explain it to her – she should be meek and obedient and submissive
• The metaphor of Neptune suggests he sees himself as god-like – men are gods that must tame their wives show the excessive hubris and pride of the duke. Shows that the Duke is extremely materialistic, as he condemns her finding nature beautiful but places a lot of value, in a statue "thought a rarity". Clearly, he believes his status and wealth should be seen as more valuable than anything available to the common man!
• Perspective


  • The poem is an example of a persona poem. In this case the speaker taking on the persona of the Duke of Ferra. Through taking on a persona Browning can use the character to give the reader a message about the wider context of the time.
  • The first person, present tense narrative gives the speaker a great deal of power over the text as he can control what he tells the reader. This reflects the power the Duke holds over women and his subjects, and this could be extended to the readers too. The first person narration also means the content could be biased, exaggerated or untrue.
• Dramatic Monologue


  • The choice of this perspective shows the domineering presence of the Duke, who dominates a conversation and won't let anyone else talk because he tends to take control of everything. The dramatic monologue means readers are exclusively exposed to his perspective. Thus the reader begins to understand the need to decipher what is and isn't true for themselves. Here, dramatic monologue provides the reader with a biased account of the narrative which means the reader is immediately aware of need to read between the lines.
  • There is no female side to the story, and this mirrors how there was no female side to the narrative of Victorian society either. Women had no right to vote or hold power outside of the home so were politically silenced. Browning's criticism of the Duke's abuse of power is thus a criticism of the inequality in who holds power.
• The reader's interest is invoked from the title and initial phrase in the first lines, "My Last Duchess", because it raises questions such as: why is it his "last Duchess"? Is she dead? If so, how has she died?
• Dramatic monologue


  A type of poem where one character dominates the conversation and won't let anyone else talk, providing readers with a biased account of the narrative
• There is no female side to the story, mirroring how there was no female side to the narrative of Victorian society either
• Women had no right to vote or hold power outside of the home so were politically silenced
• Browning's criticism of the Duke's abuse of power is a criticism of the inequality in who holds power
• Iambic Pentameter


  A classic meter of English poetry where each line has ten syllables with the emphasis on the second syllable
• Iambic Pentameter


  • Reflects the Duke's traditional and conservative views of women
  • Demonstrates the Duke's sense of pride and superiority
  • Was used by Shakespeare to show nobility and was thought to be the most natural meter for English language
• Single verse/no stanzas


  • Makes the poem feel overwhelming and tiring
  • Mirrors the Duke's power and dominance
  • Suggests the Duke's presence is overwhelming as he dominates the room and the poem
  • Demonstrates the Duke's control and the lack of importance placed on covering up his mistreatment of his past wife
• Enjambment


  Sentences that run over multiple lines
• Enjambment


  • Allows the poem to flow and seem more like a natural conversation
  • Presents the Duke as weak and unbalanced as he is getting carried away and rambling
  • Demonstrates his lack of control over what he says and that he keeps getting sidetracked
• Caesura


  A pause between words, for example across lines, with the use of a comma or full stop
• Caesura


  • Shows the Duke's speech as poorly planned or formed as he keeps interrupting himself
  • Makes the poem seem rambling and breaks up rhythm, so that it is not pleasant to listen to
  • Suggests the Duke lacks natural confidence so has to make up for it with artificial, authoritarian control
• Possessive pronouns


  Words like "my" that show ownership
• Possessive pronouns


  • Show the Duke has ownership of the Duchess and sees her as a possession, not an individual
  • Demonstrate the Duke's lack of affection or emotion towards the Duchess
• Simplistic language


  Language that is simple and straightforward
• Simplistic language


  • Makes the piece seem like a normal conversation, not decorated or rich in imagery
  • Draws more emphasis to the places where literary devices are used
• Power


  • The Duke expected the Duchess to find him to be her entire life and gained complete domination over her
  • The Duke is presented as paranoid, reading affairs into everything
  • The Duke criticises every flaw he found in the Duchess and uses an obvious euphemism for her murder to show his power
• Lack of power


  • The Duchess is presented as innocent, embarrassed by compliments and pleased by nature's beauty
  • The Duke is scared of female sexuality and confronting his fears
  • The Duke wants his new Duchess to be obedient and submissive from the start