The Last Duchess By Robert Browning - 865 Words

Art is not just a form of beauty but also a form of power. In it lies deep meaning and value and often tells a story. Robert Browning’s poem â€Å"The Last Duchess† portrays this power of art, which is evident in how the Duke captures more than just the image of his former wife in the painting. To him the painting represents his control and power and tells the tale of his former wife in the way he speaks of the painting. An analysis of the poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† will reveal how the Duke uses art to further the narrative of this poem through symbolism, reveal the relationship with his former wife and control others. The writer of this poem Robert Browning is a master at captivating the potential of the dramatic monologue, here art is expressed by symbolism and it is used as a structure for the poem. The speaker of this poem who is the Duke holds himself in high esteem and loves the control his position gives him as an authority. Accordingly, the Duke shows admiration for his former wife who he killed when he says â€Å"that’s my last duchess on the wall† (line 1). Here he admires her more as an object of art than he did in reality. The Duke uses art as an image that symbolizes his control and dominance over his former wife; more so he not only uses the painting of his wife to express his control but also the sculpture of Neptune â€Å"taming a sea-horse† (line 55) as an image at the end to emphasize and make his point clear that he is very controlling and possessive. Aside from theShow MoreRelatedThe Last Duchess By Robert Browning940 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Art is an e xpression of human creative skill and imagination† (google) Paintings are works of art created to express or let out a person’s creativity or feelings towards a certain subject. In Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue, â€Å"The Last Duchess†, he uses the painting as a symbolism of the Duke’s relationship with his former wife. Therefore, as the Duke tries to impress people with his wealth through the painting of Fra Pandolf, he instead unintentionally displays his true personality to othersRead MoreMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning693 Words   |  3 Pages‘My Last Duchess’ is all about control and jealousy. Written by Robert Browning in 1842 (the Victorian era), the dramatic monologue is set in 16th Century Italy where the Duke of Ferrara is talking to a Count’s emissary about a prospective marriage with the Counts daughter. The poem conveys the controlling nature of the Duke by the use of one stanza in the entire poem. It demonstrates this, as there is no interruption from the servant and no break whilst the Duke is talking. Any pauses in the poemRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning886 Words   |  4 Pages My Last Duchess The dramatic monologue â€Å"My Last Duchess† was penned down by Robert Browning. In this poem, the narrator is the Duke of Ferrara, and the listener is the count’s agent, through whom the Duke is arranging the proposed marriage to a second duchess. The poem is ironical and reveals its rhetorical sense, gradually. In the later part of the poem, the Duke claims that he does not have a skill in speech, but his monologue is a masterpiece of subtle rhetoric. While supposedlyRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning951 Words   |  4 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning Robert Browning was born May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, London. His father was a senior clerk in the Bank of England. His mother was a pianist. His love for writing dramatic monologues came from his father who gave him the love Browning had for art and literature. Browning attended the University of London for half a year before returning home to read in his father s library. His first work, Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession, was first issued in 1833. It was hisRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesMy last duchess by Robert Browning Quote Analysis My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is a mysterious monologue about a duke who is showing a portrait of his former wife or last duchess to a visitor at his palace. While showing this portrait of his former wife, the duke begins to demean the duchess character and their life together. Although the duke is very well spoken and chooses his words carefully as he describes the duchess, he ends up reveling more about himself than his last duchess. By doingRead MoreMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning1795 Words   |  7 PagesIn My Last Duchess, Robert Browning takes poetic license with a real historical character from within the Italian Renaissance: Alfonso II, the last Duke of Ferrara. The Duke married a young bride, Lucrezia de’ Medici; however, their marriage ended mysteriously after just three years (Bloom 16). Within My Last Duchess, Browning uses the character and voice of the Duke to pass comment upon some of the themes of the Italian Renaissance, particularly the juxtaposition between aesthetics and moralityRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1492 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"My Last Duchess† The poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† is a masterful example of a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning. In this poem the narrator is a duke who is discussing his murder of his last duchess with a man with whom he is arranging his marriage to a count’s daughter. As it is a monologue, the man being spoken to does not say a word. It is believed by many that this character is based on the Italian Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso II, who sought out the marriage of a count’s daughter followingRead MoreMy Last Duchess By Robert Browning1529 Words   |  7 PagesGentle Into That Good Night, Havisham, The Laboratory, My Last Duchess and On My First Sonne have all crafted very emotion based poems, all 6 present strong feelings. Some through manic speech and rhythm, others through a deeper meaning. I would say the majority of these poems (Havisham, Duchess, Laboratory and Photographer) all feature protagonists with mental disorders, after or during certain situations. My Last Duchess by Robert Browning is about a pretentious man looking back on the fate on hisRead MoreSummary Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1164 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Newberry 13 February 2017 A Reader’s Guide to Robert Browning â€Å"My Last Duchess† Title and Author Robert browning was born on May 7,1817 in Camberwell, England. To and accomplished pianist and a bank clerk. It is said by the age of five he was already proficient of writing and reading. At the age of twelve he wrote a volume of Byronic verse entitled Incondita, which his parents attempted to have published. By thirteen birthday Browning had received the rest of Shelly’s work, and declared himselfRead MoreAnalysis Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning1523 Words   |  7 PagesZografakis English Period 8 7 November 2014 Throughout history, gender roles have been an important barrier in society. Women are forced to satisfy expectations established by men and society. â€Å"My Last Duchess,† by Robert Browning, focuses on the powerful Duke establishing certain expectations of the Duchess, and attempting to control her. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, concentrates on Laertes establishing certain expectations of Ophelia, and seeking to control her. A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia