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My Last Duchess by Browning

Mar 19, 2025

Lecture Notes: My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

Overview

  • Title: My Last Duchess
  • Author: Robert Browning
  • Type: Dramatic monologue
  • Speaker: The Duke of Ferrara

Key Themes

  • Power and Control
    • The Duke's control over who views the Duchess's portrait.
    • The Duke's desire to control and dominate his wife's behavior and emotions.
  • Jealousy and Suspicion
    • The Duke's jealousy over the Duchess's interactions and her easily impressed nature.
  • Objectification
    • The Duchess is portrayed as a possession, akin to the painting and other artworks.

Analysis of the Poem

  • Opening

    • The Duke introduces the portrait of the Duchess, describing her lifelike appearance as a "wonder."
    • The artwork is attributed to Fra Pandolf, suggesting expertise and a day's labor.

  • Duke’s Control

    • Visitors require the Duke's permission to view the painting, emphasizing his control.
    • The curtain over the painting is symbolic of the Duke's authority.

  • Duchess’s Behavior

    • The Duke suggests that the Duchess was easily pleased and impressed.
    • Her appreciation of simple pleasures and interactions led to the Duke's displeasure.

  • Duke’s Criticism

    • The Duke criticizes the Duchess for being too friendly or appreciative of others.
    • He interprets her courtesy and joy as disrespect or undervaluing of his "nine hundred years old name."

  • Resolution

    • The Duke hints at having commanded the cessation of the Duchess's smiles, implying her death.
    • The poem concludes with a return to the social setting and a focus on a dowry discussion.

Symbolism

  • The Portrait
    • Represents the Duke's control and the frozen image of the Duchess as he wished to remember her.
  • Neptune Taming a Seahorse
    • Symbolizes control over nature, paralleling the Duke's control over the Duchess.

Discussion Points

  • The Duke’s justifications for his actions and his lack of remorse.
  • Comparison of the Duchess to other material possessions in the Duke’s collection.
  • The implications of the Duke’s views on marriage and relationships.

Questions for Further Study

  1. How does Browning use dramatic monologue to reveal the character of the Duke?
  2. What does the poem suggest about the power dynamics in relationships during the Renaissance?
  3. How does imagery contribute to the overall tone and message of the poem?

Full transcript