Analysis of Robert Browning's My Last Duchess English 110.6 (12) 23 October 2002
My Last Duche
ss is one of the more recognized poems written by Robert Browning. Robert Browning was a Victorian w
riter born in 1812 and died in 1889. He is remembered today through the inspiring words of this dram
atic monologue My Last Duchess. The setting of this poem is presumably in the Italian Renaissance pe
riod, specifically, the grand staircase in the palace of the Duke of Ferrara. It is set as evidence
d by the arranged marriage to the Count's Daughter and the suggestion of the dowry and also by the r
emark the duke makes to the servant "Sir! Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a ra
rity, / Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me." (Lines 54 - 56) Any reference of Ancient R
oman culture, especially a bronze statue, was seen as a great status symbol at the time. These exam
ples also serve to allow the reader to infer that the Duke is a very wealthy man and very conceited
about his home and possessions. The location in the home is provided to the reader through referenc
es to walking down the staircase "We'll meet / The company below, then." (Lines 47 and 48) and "Nay,
we'll go, / Together down, Sir!" (Lines 53 and 54) The speaker and narrator of the poem is the Duke
of Ferrara. My Last Duchess is a conversation between the Duke and a servant of a Count. As the mon
ologue opens, the audience is treated to a description of a portrait of the Duke's first wife. He ta
kes great pains to insure that the reader "sees" the painting. "That's my last duchess painted on th
e wall/ Looking as if she were alive I call" (Line 1 and 2) The Duke's reason for speaking with the
servant is to discuss the Duke's intention to marry the daughter of the servant's employer. This is
learned late in the poem. During, the conversation, the audience sees a great hatred the Duke has fo
r his first wife, who mysteriously died. The opening tone of the poem is somewhat light. A widower d
iscusses the painting of his former wife, the beauty of her. On into the poem, the reader begins to
detect a change in the Duke's tone. He begins to recall the possible circumstances resulting in "tha
t spot / Of joy into the Duchess' cheek". (Line 14 and 15) The Duke begins opening his suspicious mi
nd as to the various possibilities- "perhaps / Fra Pandolf chanced to say". (Line 15 and 16) Accordi
ng to the Duke, many were the curious viewer who asked. The audience is also given a view of the Duc
hess through the eyes of her widower. The late Duchess was a naive, young woman. She was "too easily
impressed". (Line 23) Her likes were of many, animate and inanimate as evidence by the Duke's comme
nt "She liked whate'er/ She looked on, and her looks went everywhere." (Line 24) She was a person wh
o valued no one thing more than another, in his view- " Sir, 'twas all one! My favour at her breast,
/ The dropping of the daylight in the West," (Line 25 and 26) The Duke is quite angry at this fact.
He feels she has taken the most valuable gift he could have given her, "as if she ranked / My gift
of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody's gift." (Lines 32- 34) The Duke's most tormented
thought lies in the knowledge that his former wife, "She thanked men,--good; but thanked / Somehow
. . . I know not how .." (Line 31 and 32) This feeds his tormented mind and heart. He is continually
faced with her smiles, which she gave to all who passed. "Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, / Whene'e
r I passed her; but who passed without / Much the same smile?" (Lines 43 - 45) And still, nothing h
e, her husband, did, gave any more pleasure to her than "the white mule/ She rode with round the ter
race." (Line 28 and 29) The Duke believes he has every right to feel as he does. He took great strid
es to ensure his late wife was happy and cared for. Still, she took no special meaning of him. The l
ate Duchess would not discuss with her husband the things she desired. Instead, she left him to gues
s, or even worse, to ask. If she had spoken such words to her husband, "if she let / Herself be less
ened so," (Line 39 and 40) the Duke felt as though she thought he too would have been lessened as a
man. The Duke seemed to be in a relationship in which he was tormented, tormented by the fact that h
e loved a women who's head could be turned by things or other men, tormented by feelings of less-tha
n adequate husbandry. He was tormented by the realization that his feelings meant little to his wife
. As she continued to flirt and "smile", he "commanded" her to stop. (Line 45) It is at this point
in the poem the climax is reached. The Duke, in all his fury, confesses to the silent servant -"then
all smiles stopped together." (Line 46) He had reached his breaking point. The affairs, the tauntin
g, the feeling of abandonment of the marriage all came together. Ending it all, he " gave commands;
/ Then all smiles stopped together. ", he stopped her. (Line 45 and 46) "There she stands/ As if ali
ve", before I took her life, he would like to add. (Line 46 and 47) In the final lines Browning's na
rrator again changes his tone. The change is one to say "Oh no, I've told everything, what now?" The
tone now becomes one of, oh, I apologize, back to the point of our conversation - my marriage to yo
ur boss's daughter. This is shown in the lines "Will 't please you rise? We'll meet / The company b
elow, then." He is trying to almost brush over what he has said previously and get back to the point
. (Lines 47 and 48) Just as he reveals the true intent of the conversation, the reader is also given
a view into the nature of the Duke. Throughout the poem the reader sees the loathing in his heart f
or the vain, materialistic nature of his former wife. He too, possesses this same materialistic view
of life. The first glimpse of this side of the Duke is seen as he boasts about the portrait of his
wife, how great the painter. "That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands / Worked busily a day,
and there she stands." (Lines 3 and 4) At the close of the poem the reader is given another view of
his boastfulness. He is soon to tell the servant he needs no dowry, or money, from the Count, his da
ughter is payment enough. Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; / Though his fair daughter's self, a
s I avowed / At starting, is my object." (Lines 51 - 53) As the scene closes, and the Duke and the
servant take their leave, the last parting remark of the Duke is with regard to a wonderful casting
of Neptune. As if the statue were not lovely enough to stand on its own merit, the Duke must mention
its creator. (Lines 54 - 56) The comment is thrown as if a passing smile might have been from his
late wife. And so, the Duke held malice and contempt for his late Duchess, finding considerable faul
t in her materialistic nature. But, as is usually the case one can find fault in the ones surroundin
g without seeing that same fault in oneself. Which is the idea that Robert Browning was attempting
to convey to the reader through the use of iambic couplets and an exceptional ability to allow the r
eader to feel for the Duke even though he was the protagonist in this poem. He accomplished this es
sentially because he gave the reader only the Dukes point of view and depicted his feelings in such
detail that while the reader is left wanting to believe that the Duchess was the person at fault in
the marriage, the reader has no choice but to see the same faults in the Duke himself. The Last Du
chess is a very well written poem that conveys its message quite clearly to the reader and is an eas
y poem to read as well.
analysis robert browning last duchess english october last duchess more rec
ognized poems written robert browning robert browning victorian writer born died remembered today th
rough inspiring words this dramatic monologue last duchess setting this poem presumably italian rena
issance period specifically grand staircase palace duke ferrara evidenced arranged marriage count da
ughter suggestion dowry also remark duke makes servant notice neptune though taming horse thought ra
rity which claus innsbruck cast bronze lines reference ancient roman culture especially bronze statu
e seen great status symbol time these examples also serve allow reader infer that duke very wealthy
very conceited about home possessions location home provided reader through references walking down
staircase meet company below then lines together down lines speaker narrator poem ferrara conversati
on between servant count monologue opens audience treated description portrait first wife takes grea
t pains insure that reader sees painting that painted wall looking were alive call line reason speak
ing with servant discuss intention marry daughter employer this learned late poem during conversatio
n audience sees great hatred first wife mysteriously died opening tone somewhat light widower discus
ses painting former wife beauty into begins detect change tone begins recall possible circumstances
resulting spot into cheek line begins opening suspicious mind various possibilities perhaps pandolf
chanced line according many were curious viewer asked audience also given view through eyes widower
late naive young woman easily impressed likes were many animate inanimate evidence comment liked wha
te looked looks went everywhere person valued thing more than another view twas favour breast droppi
ng daylight west quite angry fact feels taken most valuable gift could have given ranked gift nine h
undred years name with anybody gift most tormented thought lies knowledge former thanked good thanke
d somehow know feeds tormented mind heart continually faced with smiles which gave passed smiled dou
bt whene passed passed without much same smile still nothing husband gave more pleasure than white m
ule rode round terrace believes every right feel does took strides ensure late happy cared still too
k special meaning would discuss husband things desired instead left guess even worse spoken such wor
ds husband herself lessened felt though thought would have been lessened seemed relationship which t
ormented fact loved women head could turned things other feelings less than adequate husbandry reali
zation feelings meant little continued flirt smile commanded stop point climax reached fury confesse
s silent then smiles stopped together reached breaking point affairs taunting feeling abandonment ma
rriage came together ending gave commands then smiles stopped stopped there stands alive before took
life would like final narrator again changes tone change told everything what becomes apologize bac
k point conversation marriage your boss daughter shown will please rise meet company below trying al
most brush over what said previously back just reveals true intent given view into nature throughout
sees loathing heart vain materialistic nature former possesses same materialistic life first glimps
e side seen boasts about portrait painter piece wonder pandolf hands worked busily there stands clos
e another boastfulness soon tell needs dowry money from count payment enough mine dowry will disallo
wed though fair self avowed starting object scene closes take their leave parting remark regard wond
erful casting neptune statue lovely enough stand merit must mention creator comment thrown passing s
mile might have been from held malice contempt finding considerable fault materialistic nature usual
ly case find fault ones surrounding without seeing same fault oneself idea attempting convey iambic
couplets exceptional ability allow feel even protagonist accomplished essentially because only dukes
depicted feelings such detail while left wanting believe person choice faults himself very well wri
tten conveys message quite clearly easy read wellEssay, essays, termpaper, term paper, termpapers, t
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