“My Last Duchess”

by Robert Browning

Presented by Group – 3

Aysha Siddika Nadi

Shimon Sarkar
Shadhin Hossain
What we need to know Before
we read
 Dramatic monologue.
 Silent listener.
 Speaker: A powerful Italian Duke, Married 3 times, want to marry the
count’s daughter.
 Listener: A servant of count.
Robert
Browning
 Browning was born in 7 may 1812 in Surrey England
 Victorian poet
 Famous for dramatic monologue
 Was noted for Irony, Characterization, Dark humor,
Social Commentary, Historical settings.
 Notable works: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"Men and
WomenThe Ring and the BookDramatis
PersonaeDramatic LyricsDramatic Romances and
LyricsAsolando"My Last Duchess.
 Died 12 December 1889.
 My Last Duchess

FERRARA
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I Lucrezia de' Medici,
Duchess of Ferrara
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not
Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps
Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—which I have not—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this • Fra-Pandolf : Name of the painter
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, • Countenance : A person’s face or
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let expression
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set • Earnest : Very serious and sincere
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse— • Durst : Dared
E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose • Mantle : Cloak
Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, • Bough : A large branch of a tree
Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without • Forsooth : Indeed
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave • Stoop : Lower moral standard
commands; • Triffle : Unimportant, A thing of lower
Then all smiles stopped together. There she value
stands • Munificence : Generosity
As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet • Ample : Sufficient, Abundant
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master’s known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Summary
In My Last Duchess, the Duke of Ferrara shows a guest a
portrait of his late wife and praises the artist, Fra Pandolf.
He notes that people often wonder how the duchess's
painting shows such emotion, and the duke hints that it
wasn’t just his presence that caused it. He criticizes his wife
for being too easily impressed and for showing equal joy for
everything and everyone, including his own high status. The
duke implies that he had her killed for smiling at others too,
and now she only exists in the painting. He shifts focus to
his upcoming marriage to the Count's daughter and their
dowry negotiations.
 Theme

 Power and Control: The monologue reveals  The Nature of Art and Reality: The painting of the
his obsessive need for control over his wife, her Duchess serves as a reminder of her past and a
behavior, and even her emotions. He sees her symbol of the Duke's power over her memory. It also
as a possession rather than an individual, and raises questions about the relationship between art
her inability to conform to his expectations and reality, and the extent to which art can capture
leads to her demise. the true essence of a person.
 Gender Roles and Expectations: The poem reflects
 The Objectification of Women: The Duke's the patriarchal society of the Renaissance, where
treatment of his wife as a mere object is women were expected to be submissive and obedient
highlighted by his frequent references to her as to their husbands. The Duke's expectations of his wife
"my last Duchess" and his possessive tone. He are rooted in these traditional gender roles, and her
focuses on her physical appearance and her failure to adhere to them results in her tragic fate.
ability to please him, rather than her
individuality or her own desires.
 Jealousy and Possessiveness: The Duke's
jealousy is evident in his criticism of his wife's
"gift of a smile" and her tendency to "look on"
everything with equal interest. He views her
friendliness and openness as a threat to his
control and ownership of her.
 Form , Meter and Rhyme
 Rhyme Scheme : AABBCCDD
 Form:
1. Dramatic monologue

2. Abrupt beginning

3. No stanza

4. Heroic Couplets

 Iambic pentameter
 Tone :
• Confident and Controlling
• Possessive and Jealous
• Manipulative and Calculating
• Ironic and Sarcastic
• Foreboding and Ominous
Poetic Devices

 Enjambment
 Caesura
 Personification
 Sibilance
 Metaphor
 Polyptoton
 Symbols
 The painting : In *My Last Duchess*, the painting of the
former duchess serves as a symbol of both the duke’s status Where this symbol appears
and his objectification of women. Displayed like a prized in the poem :
artwork, the painting is meant to showcase the duke’s wealth  Lines 1-13
and taste. However, it also reflects his control over the duchess.  Lines 13-19
Unlike his living wife, whom he couldn't control, the painting is  Lines 46-47
static and submissive, allowing him to decide who sees it and
how it is viewed. The painting becomes an object of power for
the duke, symbolizing his dominance and ability to possess,
even in death, his wife as a mere object.
 The statue of Neptune : Neptune is the Roman god of Where this symbol appears
the sea, and the statue represents dominance. As such, the in the poem :
statue perfectly reflects the duke’s opinion of himself: he sees  Lines 54-56
himself as an all-powerful god who tames and subdues
everything around him.
 Setting
• The setting is the Duke of Ferrara’s estate in 16th-century Italy.
Although the poem does not include many detailed descriptions
of the estate itself, it does describe the duke’s extensive art
collection, including the painting of the Duke’s former wife (the
duchess) and a statue of the god Neptune taming a seahorse.
Both works of art are produced by famous (fictional) artists,
making them markers of the duke's wealth. It's safe to assume
that this estate is large and impressive, given the duke's
emphasis on his social status and clout.
• More specifically, the poem takes place in front of a large
painting of the duke's wife, who is presumably now deceased.
The painting has not been placed haphazardly placed in the
estate, either: it has curtains around it and a seat in front of it.
This arrangement allows the duke to manipulate his guests into
listening to his spiel about it.
 Literary Context Historical Context
Browning wrote My Last Duchess during the
Robert Browning, along with Tennyson and Victorian Era, when there was a strong fascination
Webster, was a key innovator of the Victorian with the Italian Renaissance, especially its focus on
dramatic monologue. These monologues, like My humanism, individualism, and the arts. The poem
Last Duchess, reveal the speaker’s deep character critiques wealthy patrons of art, suggesting that
flaws, often without their awareness. First published some, like the Duke of Ferrara, cared more about
in 1842, the poem is now celebrated for its insight social status than true appreciation of art. The
into psychology and human nature, set in Duke, a real historical figure (Alfonso II d'Este), was
Renaissance Italy. Though initially unnoticed, My known for being a patron of the arts, but his attitude
Last Duchess has become a classic, influencing towards his wife and his art collection shows his
modern literature, including works by Margaret desire for power and control. The poem reflects the
Atwood and Richard Howard. Victorian interest in Renaissance culture while
subtly critiquing its more superficial aspects.