ROBERT BROWNING ----------- MY LAST DUCHESS

8.                            

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.