8. Robert Browning
My Last Duchess
Write an essay on the
following
1. Discuss
the poem as a dramatic monologue
2. Attempt a
character sketch of the duke and the duchess
3. Discuss
the element of irony in the poem
Robert Browning was a great poet of the
Victorian age of English literature. His poem titled “My Last Duchess” is a
typical dramatic monologue. The narrator of the poem is the Duke of Ferrara, in
Italy. He speaks to his guest who has come to the Duke with a proposal for a
new marriage. The Duke of Ferrara pulls the curtain apart and shows the
painting on the wall. He says that his dead wife looks alive on the wonderful painting. The painting was done by a famous painter named Fra
Pandolf worked hard a day and now the Duchess is alive on the painting. There
is an element of irony in the poem. The Duke narrates the “wrong doings” of his
Duchess to the messenger of the Count. But the ‘wrong doings” are the virtues
or good qualities of the Duchess.
From the talk of the Duke, we can easily learn
his wicked character and strange notions. The Duke is highly suspicious about
the beauty and chastity of his dead wife.
Everyone in the palace praised the last duchess because she loved and
respected every courtier, talked and smiled at them. But the Duke did not like
the social qualities of the queen. He was arrogant, selfish and cruel and
treated his wife as a slave of him.
The significance of the title refers to two
words ‘my’ and ‘last”. The Duke says that the dead wife is his own private
property and “last duchess” means that the Duke is eagerly waiting for a new
wife and the new wife should not repeat
the “mistakes” committed by his last Duchess. If his new wife repeats
the mistakes, she will also face death in the same manner as his last duchess
is the warning given in the title.
In his talk with the messenger of the Count who
brings the marriage proposal, the Duke says that the last duchess could be
easily pleased by all people in the palace and even Fra Pandolf was pleased
with the social friendliness of the duchess. While doing the painting Fra
Pandolf praised lavishly the glamour of the Duchess and this is why the face
and eyes of the queen are made more beautiful and passionate. The queen was very generous and kind hearted
to everyone and talked to every servant
with a smiling compassionate face. This act of the queen infuriated the duke.
But he did not warn her because the duke
thought that his warning or advice to
her is below his status. He is egoistic. He wants his wife show respect
and love only to him. He always treated her as his slave and private possession But day by day, the queen’s popularity
continued to increase and this shocked the cruel Duke. He secretly ordered his
spies to murder her and it was done and all smiles stopped together.
The poem “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
speaks about the cruelties suffered by the women of England in the Victorian
age. Every woman was a slave of men in the patriarchal society. Women had no
freedom or equality and no rights and privileges. She could not even ride on
horse back or mules back. They were not allowed to travel. This unfortunate
duchess was kind hearted and generous woman to everyone. For her virtues, she
had to suffer untimely death by the murderers.
The poem also tells us of the dowry system that
existed in England at that time. The Duke demands a huge amount as dowry from
the father of the new bride. kjt/-20-03-2020
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