My Last Duchess

-Robert Browning

My Last Duchess is a brilliant dramatic Romance. In the poem Browning creates the character of a cold-hearted Renaissance aristocrat of refined tastes who reports that his first wife did not measure up to his standards.

The Duke's character :

The Duke begins by posing as a lover of art. He shows the messenger the picture of his wife's face. It has been painted on the wall by the famous painter, Fra Pandolf Pandolf spent a whole day, trying to reproduce the Duchess's facial expressions. The Duke draws attention to the glance and the 'spot' of joy on the wife's cheek.

The Duchess's character :

The Duchess had no discrimination, according to the Duke. The costly jewel gifted by him was treated by her on par with the cherries handed by some solicitous servant. Her smiles were also bestowed indiscriminately on all and sundry. When he stood by her she smiled bewitchingly on him. She lavished the same kind of smile on all passers-by. The possessive Duke could not; tolerate this. He considered it beneath his dignity to advise her as to what she should or should not do. He had her murdered to stop her smiling.

The Duke is money-minded, besides being sexually possessive. He expects the messenger's master's daughter to bring with her much dowry. But he says that he would not demand it openly.

The Duke's attitude to his future wife :

Before going out, the Duke shows the messenger he statue of the sea-god Neptune taming a sea-horse. He thus implies that he would subdue his future wife also with the same ruthless ferocity.

The Duchess tragic death :

The Duchess does not maintain the reserve expected of a lady of her stature. She mixes freely with low-class people. No husband will tolerate such an unprincipled wife. Hence the Duke orders for her death.

Dramatic Monologue

Introduction :

Robert Browning introduced a new literary genre called the dramatic monologue. The dramatic monologue usually opens at a dramatic moment. The speaker's character is fully revealed in the course of the monologue. The listener remains silent throughout. 'My Last Duchess' is a perfect monologue as it has all these features.

The dramatic moment

The Duke of Ferrara is addressing the messenger who has come to negotiate the proposed marriage between the Duke and the messenger's master's daughter. The messenger remains a passive listener. He knows that it is dangerous to oppose the Duke.

The Duke's character :

The Duke reveals himself through his comment on the picture of his wife painted by Fra Pandolf. The Duchess in the picture is glancing. There is a touch of joy on her face. The Duke says bitterly that the Duchess was § highly susceptible. She valued alike the costly jewel gifted by her husband and the cherries brought to her by her gardener. She smiled on all and sundry - the Duke as well as the passers-by. The Duchess is innocent like a child. But the Duke looks upon her as incorrigibly promiscuous. He considers it beneath his dignity to tell her how she should conduct herself. He promptly gets her murdered. By showing the messenger the statue of Neptune taming a powerful sea-horse, the Duke hints that he will treat his future wife also ruthlessly, if she misbehaves. One shudders at the Duke's possessiveness. But the Duchess's unreserved, easy-going stance is by no means excusable.