My Last Duchess by Robert Browning - 1795 Words

In 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 morality. Furthemore, he goes on to use the Renaissance framework to criticize aspects of his own Victorian society. At the heart of the poem is the question of changes to the traditional establishment, particularly in regard to women and sensuality. The first part of this essay will explore the manner in which the poem echoes the ornamentation and Baroque sensibilities of the Renaissance. The second section will analyze the notion of the Renaissance â€Å"mask†, the facade of civility t hat covers a deeper amorality and horror. The third section will examine the ways in which the Renaissance and the Victorian period were similar, as well as the manner in which Browning drew parallels between the two and used the poem as a vehicle to voice important social criticism. The Duchess as an ornament My Last Duchess presents a classic example of a dramatic monologue, a poetic form that was often used by Robert Browning. In structuring the monologue, Browning uses rhyming pentameter lines that employShow MoreRelatedMy 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 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 onRead 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 VirginiaRead More My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay2275 Words   |  10 PagesMy Last Duchess by Robert Browning In his poem â€Å"My Last Duchess†, Robert Browning gives his readers a complex picture of his two main characters. The Duke, who narrates the poem, is the most immediately present but Browning sets him up to ultimately lose the reader’s trust. The Duchess becomes the sympathetic character, a victim of foul play. It is through the various representations of the Duchess within the poem that we come to know both characters. The representations of the Duchess,Read MoreAnalysis of Robert Browning ´s My Last Duchess1165 Words   |  5 Pagesgiven by a character within the poem. My Last Duchess is a narrative poem where the poetic persona is narrating to another the story of his late wife. He first expunges on the painting of the duchess and then digresses to her personality and all her transgressions. He then makes some startling revelations about himself that allow the reader to become intimately aware of his personality. It is clear that the poetic persona in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess is the Duke who is narrating the poem