My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a dramatic monologue, a form of poetry where a speaker addresses an implied listener or audience. Through the voice of the Duke of Ferrara, Browning crafts a chilling exploration of power, control, and the objectification of women. You can read the poem below and find more analysis and some sample questions further down the page.
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
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.
Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say “Her mantle laps
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat”: such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men,—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
—E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretence
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
Analysis:
Introduction of the Duchess: The poem begins with the Duke proudly showing off a portrait of his late wife, referred to as "my last Duchess." He describes the painting as a marvel and invites the listener to admire it.
The Duke's Monologue: The poem is structured as a dramatic monologue, with the Duke serving as the sole speaker. Through his words, readers gain insight into his character, motivations, and feelings towards his former wife.
Jealousy and Control: The Duke's jealousy and desire for control are evident as he recounts his interactions with the Duchess. He resented her ability to appreciate simple pleasures and her friendly demeanour towards others, interpreting it as a sign of her frivolity and lack of respect for his status.
Objectification of Women: The Duke objectifies the Duchess, reducing her to a mere possession and reflecting on her as a commodity to be displayed and controlled. He expresses displeasure at her perceived lack of gratitude and obedience, viewing her independence and friendliness as signs of disrespect.
Power Dynamics: The poem explores the power dynamics within the Duke's marriage, highlighting his desire for dominance and his inability to tolerate any perceived challenge to his authority.
Narrative Irony: The Duke's narration is characterised by irony, as he reveals more about his own character and flaws than he intends. His arrogance and possessiveness ultimately reveal him as an unreliable and morally dubious narrator.
Conclusion: The poem ends with the Duke's abrupt shift in conversation, directing the listener's attention to a statue of Neptune, symbolising his control and dominance over both his deceased wife and his future bride.
Themes:
Jealousy and Control: The poem explores the theme of jealousy and control within relationships, as the Duke seeks to exert dominance over his wife and her actions.
Objectification of Women: The objectification of women is a central theme, as the Duke reduces the Duchess to a possession and views her actions through the lens of his own desires and expectations.
Power and Authority: Power dynamics within marriage and society are examined, with the Duke representing patriarchal authority and the privileges afforded to those in positions of power.
Art and Representation: The portrait of the Duchess serves as a central motif, reflecting themes of artifice, perception, and the manipulation of appearances.
Language and Structure:
Dramatic Monologue: The poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue, allowing readers to gain insight into the Duke's character and motivations through his own words.
Imagery: Vivid imagery is employed throughout the poem to evoke the setting, characters, and emotions, enhancing the reader's understanding of the Duke's narrative.
Repetition: The repetition of certain phrases, such as "My last Duchess" and "Will’t please you sit and look at her?" emphasises the Duke's fixation on the portrait and his desire for control.
Rhythm and Meter: The poem follows a regular rhythm and meter, contributing to its musicality and dramatic impact.
Irony: Narrative irony is employed to highlight the gap between the Duke's perception of events and the reality of his character, revealing his flaws and biases to the reader.
Conclusion:
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a powerful exploration of jealousy, control, and the objectification of women within a Renaissance aristocratic marriage. Through the Duke's narration, readers are offered a glimpse into his psyche and the toxic dynamics that underpin his relationships. The poem serves as a critique of patriarchal power structures and the consequences of unchecked privilege and entitlement.
You can find analysis of all the AQA Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology Poems here.
You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Relationships Poetry Anthology Poems here.
Questions you may be asked
Who is the speaker in the poem?
- Answer: The poem is a dramatic monologue, which is where one character speaks his or her feelings to the reader. The poem seems to come from the point of view of a duke showing a guest the painting of his ‘Last duchess’ hanging on a wall and describing her.
How is the painting described?
- Answer: He says ‘I call that piece a wonder’ so he is amazed by the quality of the painting and the skills of the painter ‘Fra Pandolf’. The picture almost sounds like a real person: ‘There she stands’ as if looking at them, alive. Only Fra Pandolf has been able to see and understand her as she truly is until now as no one: ‘read that pictured countenance, the depth and passion of its earnest glance’ indicating that no stranger has really understood the last duchess and always turned to their host to ask ‘how such a glance came there’ so she clearly has an unusual expression on her face.
What hints are given that the Duchess has been unfaithful?
- Answer: She seems imperfect in the painting, the comment made that ‘that spot of joy’ on the cheek of the duchess was caused by more than just the Duke, hinting at infidelity as he says ‘twas not her husband’s presence only called that spot of joy into the duchesses’ cheek’’. There develops feelings that the Duchess was unfaithful as she was too easily pleased by others as ‘she had a heart .. too soon made glad’ so she was too easy to impress, or just too easy. ‘her looks went everywhere’ (line 24) seems to indicate that she looked at others and it is made to seem as if it is her fault that she strayed.
What annoys the Duke?
- Answer: He seems annoyed that she ‘thanked men’ and is especially irritated that she did not value ‘a nine – hundred years old name’ (line 33) highly enough, as she seems more interested in other things. What he does not see is that it takes more than a name and wealth to make a successful relationship and he doesn’t look at what may have caused her to stray. The male role in society when Browning wrote this poem was to be dominant and the female had to do as she was told, so this relationship is unusual in that she has been unfaithful in his eyes and he sees her as totally to blame, not him.
What unanswered questions are there in this poem?
- Answer: She smiled at him, but no more than anyone else (line 45), but this all stopped when ‘I gave commands’, but we do not find out why they stopped or what the commands were. All we do know is that this was his last Duchess, the previous one and now he is looking to find another one. Is there something sinister here? It is unclear.
How do we know that the Duchess is dead now?
- Answer: The comment ‘there she stands as if alive’ hints at the fact that she is dead now, although we do not find out how she died, or is she just dead to him as she has been thrown out?
What does the Duke want his new Duchess to be like?
- Answer: The ending has a sense of threat from the Duke who warns the person he is speaking to, who seems to be a representative of his new Duchess to be, (line 49) that he will have a tamed woman, just as Neptune tamed a sea horse. It is fitting that he has bought this bronze statue, showing the tamed sea horse, as it represents what he is looking for, a subservient women who will do as she is told.
What 4 characters do we learn about in the poem?
- Answer: the duke, the duchess, the painter, Frà Pandolf and the visitor
How is the poem made to seem more conversational?
- Answer: The poet uses enjambment, which caries lines on without any punctuation at the end of them, to make it seem more natural, like a conversation.
