“My Last Duchess
Robert Browning
Form:
Dramatic monologue
Summary:
A wealthy aristocrat in Renaissance Italy, commenting on a portrait of his deceased wife (whom he has
possibly had murdered), reveals his vicious jealousy of her. He addresses his observations to the
emissary (agent of a potential future wife).
Themes:
Jealousy; women as aesthetic objects; the psychology of the art collector
Speaker:
The Duke of Ferrara –a supremely powerful figure, equal in status to a king
Setting:
Late Italian Renaissance, probably mid-sixteenth century; an upper room or corridor in the Duke’s palace
Occasion:
The Duke and the Count’s emissary have just concluded negotiations over the terms of the marriage and
the dowry that the Duke expects to receive with his bride. On their way to join the company of guests and
courtiers in the assembly hall below, they pass a portrait of the Duke’s former Duchess, and the Duke
pauses to display it for the emissary, engaging him now in what seems social talk.
Subject:
The primary subject of the poem is the character of the Duke, but Browning is interested in his character
also as it reflects his period in history (the pride and arrogance of the aristocracy, its system of arranged
marriages, its enthusiasm for art and artists).
The Duke’s Characterization
Pride of birth and status – he is a duke. His dissatisfaction with his former wife is that she forgot it. Instead of being lofty
and reserved like himself, saving her smile only for him, thus enhancing the eminence of his status, she treated social
inferiors as equals, blushed when they complimented her, was too visibly pleased when they did her favors. She did not
conduct herself like a duchess! Why didn’t the Duke try to correct her? To have done so would have been condescending
to him even if she had accepted his tutelage without making excuses or arguing back. A proud purchaser doesn’t haggle
over defects in the merchandise; he simply sends it back and demands replacement.
Cruel – the tone in which the words the Duke uttered sufficiently underlines his cruelty and arrogance. What were the
commands he gave? They were probably to the Duchess put to death.
Connoisseur of art – the Duke is a patron and collector of art. There is no need to believe that his love of art is not
genuine: love of art can coexist comfortably with egotism and cruelty in some natures; and this was a time of great
enthusiasm for art and artists. He speaks appreciatively of the merits of Fra Pandolf’s painting and keeps a protective
curtain in front of it, which he allows no one but himself to draw. Nevertheless, his love of art is not pure; it too reflects his
pride. He is proud of having commissioned work from painters and sculptors of such eminence as Fra Pandolf and Claus
of Innsbruck, and he carefully drops their names into his conversation.
Shrewd – the Duke knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. While apparently simply making pleasant
conversation about the shortcomings of his former Duchess, he is indirectly informing the envoy what he expects in his
new Duchess, knowing that the envoy will report it back to the Count. The primary evidence of the Duke’s shrewdness is
his skill in speech. His disclaimer of such skill is part of the evidence for it, and should remind the reader of a similar
disclaimer by Shakespeare’s Mark Antony in his oration on Caesar, which serves a similar purpose. It is a rhetorical trick,
designed to throw the listener off guard. The conclusive proof of the Duke’s skill in speech is the passage in which he
expresses his demand for dowry. Clearly the dowry is his main motivation in this new marriage. Though the nature of the
demand is made perfectly clear, it is disguised in a sentence softened by a double negative and by a skillfully tactful and
euphemistic choice of diction.
Diplomatic skills – the hard bargaining is enveloped in an atmosphere of perfect courtesy. The Duke’s diplomatic skills
are also shown throughout in his treatment of the emissary, which is subtly designed to flatter. After the business
conference, he gives the emissary a private showing of his prized portrait and chats in a friendly manner about personal
affairs. This courtesy, from the man who is accustomed to give commands and who objected to too much courtesy in his
Duchess, is apparent throughout the interview.
Literary Devices
Run-on lines: a line that doe not contain a pause or a stop at the end. It ends in the middle of a statement and the reader
must go to the next line to finish reading it. For example,
“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.”
Dramatic monologue: a speaker who indirectly reveals his or her situation and character to a silent listener. For
example, in the quote above, the speaker is standing in front of the portrait of his former wife. Information is conveyed in
the speech of the speaker, without outside narration. The duke indirectly suggests he could not tolerate the ordinary
pleasures his wife took in simple things, since he felt that this pleasure equaled the pleasure she took in his gifts, an
equivalence his pride could not accept. The duke’s seemingly rationality in thinking is belied by his completely irrational
emotional reactions – insanely jealous of his wife’s attention to anything besides himself and his rank.
Dramatic irony: a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true. The
poem is a masterpiece of dramatic irony, a dramatic irony that is manifested chiefly in the whole tone of the poem rather
than in specific passages. The Duke speaks all the words. He seeks to give a favorable impression of himself and an
unfavorable impression of his last Duchess. What Browning conveys to the reader is exactly the opposite.
Rhyme Scheme and Meter
Couplet: a pair of rhymed lines (of any length or rhythm).
Iambic pentameter: a 10 syllable line beginning with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example,
(u = unstressed, / = stressed)
u
/
u
/
u
/ u
/
u
/
“The depth and passion of its earnest glance,”
Name
Class Period
My Last Duchess
1. Locate and copy the lines that characterize the Duchess.
2. Locate and copy the lines that characterize the Duke’s pride of birth and status.
3. Locate and copy the lines that characterize the Duke as cruel.
4. Locate and copy the lines that characterize the Duke as a connoisseur of art.
5. Locate and copy the lines that characterize the Duke as shrewd.
6. Locate and copy the lines that display the Duke’s diplomatic skills.