“My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue by Robert Browning, in
which the Duke of Ferrara tells the messenger of his potential wife’s
family about his previous wife, the “last duchess” of the poem's title.
Using a painting of the former duchess as a conversation piece, he
describes what he saw as her unfaithfulness, frivolity, and
stubbornness, and implies that he prefers her as a painting rather than
as a living woman.
What follows now is a brief summary of the poem:
The poem begins with the duke addressing the emissary of The
Count, whose daughter the duke is interested in marrying. The duke
shows the messenger the painting of his late wife - the last duchess.
The first hint of something sinister going on is in the second line where
the duke says the duchess looks “as if she were alive”.
He then mentions the artist who painted this “wonderful” portrait. Fra
Pandolf worked on the painting for an entire day and now it is on
display for the duke to show to his guests. The duke asks the
emissary to sit and admire the painting. This is a non-negotiable
command veiled as a polite request.
The duke says that he mentioned Fra Pandolf intentionally as
strangers would often wonder which artist had been able to capture
the “earnest glance” of the former duchess. He informs us that
strangers would often turn to him and ask, if they dared - what brought
about such an “earnest glance” in the duchess’s eyes. Here, the duke
also displays possessiveness as he says that no one, except for him,
draws the curtains across the painting. It is only with his explicit
permission that anyone would be allowed to see the painting.
The duke goes as far as to presume the emissary is also asking the
same question.
, He then begins to talk about his last duchess. He says that it wasn’t
only his presence that brought out the blush of joy in the duchess’
cheek. Perhaps it had been brought out by Fra Pandolf complimenting
her. Perhaps the artist had chanced to say that her wrists are too
covered by her cloak or he might have said how paint could never
hope to replicate the”faint half flush that dies along her throat”. She
considered such compliments to be courtesy and the spot of joy would
appear on her cheeks.
He now describes what he saw as her weaknesses - frivolity,
stubbornness and unfaithfulness. He says she had a heart “too soon
made glad”. She was equally impressed by everything and
appreciated all good things alike. To her, all gifts were the same - an
expensive gift from the duke, the beautiful sunset, the bough of
cherries given to her by an attendant and the white mule she rode
around the terrace - and would “draw from her alike the approving
speech”. She blushed very easily as she was easily flattered.
According to the duke, this is not how a duchess should behave. She
should be sceptical and scrutinise her subjects. According to the duke,
she ranked his ‘gift’ of a ‘nine-hundred-years-old-name” with
anybody’s gift.
Although these things bothered him deeply, he never deigned himself
to correct her to even have a conversation with her. He considered
correcting her as stooping; as doing something beneath him. He says
he does not have such skill in speech that he could make his will clear
to her. (we know this isn’t true - refer to the language part) He says
that even if he did stoop to make her understand, she would be
stubborn and “set her wits to his.” Here, he misinterprets her strength
of character as obstinance. He chooses “never to stoop” - he
considers himself someone of great importance.
which the Duke of Ferrara tells the messenger of his potential wife’s
family about his previous wife, the “last duchess” of the poem's title.
Using a painting of the former duchess as a conversation piece, he
describes what he saw as her unfaithfulness, frivolity, and
stubbornness, and implies that he prefers her as a painting rather than
as a living woman.
What follows now is a brief summary of the poem:
The poem begins with the duke addressing the emissary of The
Count, whose daughter the duke is interested in marrying. The duke
shows the messenger the painting of his late wife - the last duchess.
The first hint of something sinister going on is in the second line where
the duke says the duchess looks “as if she were alive”.
He then mentions the artist who painted this “wonderful” portrait. Fra
Pandolf worked on the painting for an entire day and now it is on
display for the duke to show to his guests. The duke asks the
emissary to sit and admire the painting. This is a non-negotiable
command veiled as a polite request.
The duke says that he mentioned Fra Pandolf intentionally as
strangers would often wonder which artist had been able to capture
the “earnest glance” of the former duchess. He informs us that
strangers would often turn to him and ask, if they dared - what brought
about such an “earnest glance” in the duchess’s eyes. Here, the duke
also displays possessiveness as he says that no one, except for him,
draws the curtains across the painting. It is only with his explicit
permission that anyone would be allowed to see the painting.
The duke goes as far as to presume the emissary is also asking the
same question.
, He then begins to talk about his last duchess. He says that it wasn’t
only his presence that brought out the blush of joy in the duchess’
cheek. Perhaps it had been brought out by Fra Pandolf complimenting
her. Perhaps the artist had chanced to say that her wrists are too
covered by her cloak or he might have said how paint could never
hope to replicate the”faint half flush that dies along her throat”. She
considered such compliments to be courtesy and the spot of joy would
appear on her cheeks.
He now describes what he saw as her weaknesses - frivolity,
stubbornness and unfaithfulness. He says she had a heart “too soon
made glad”. She was equally impressed by everything and
appreciated all good things alike. To her, all gifts were the same - an
expensive gift from the duke, the beautiful sunset, the bough of
cherries given to her by an attendant and the white mule she rode
around the terrace - and would “draw from her alike the approving
speech”. She blushed very easily as she was easily flattered.
According to the duke, this is not how a duchess should behave. She
should be sceptical and scrutinise her subjects. According to the duke,
she ranked his ‘gift’ of a ‘nine-hundred-years-old-name” with
anybody’s gift.
Although these things bothered him deeply, he never deigned himself
to correct her to even have a conversation with her. He considered
correcting her as stooping; as doing something beneath him. He says
he does not have such skill in speech that he could make his will clear
to her. (we know this isn’t true - refer to the language part) He says
that even if he did stoop to make her understand, she would be
stubborn and “set her wits to his.” Here, he misinterprets her strength
of character as obstinance. He chooses “never to stoop” - he
considers himself someone of great importance.
