My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

Who wrote "My Last Duchess"?

Robert Browning

When was Browning born

Born in 1812 (Victorian Era)

Did Browning visit Italy?

In 1838, Browning visited Italy for the first time, where he would live for most of his adult life

When was My Last Duchess published and set?

-My Last Duchess was published in 1842

-Set between the 14th and 16th century

What is the summary of My Last Duchess?

-Focuses on a controlling and possibly insane duke

-The poem was set during the Italian Renaissance, though written in Victorian England

-This may possibly reflect Browning's want for his message to be kept subtle

What were attitudes towards women like during the Victorian Era?

-During the early Victorian era, there were many changes in attitudes to women

-The suffrage movement was growing with the battle for equality

What are examples of Victorian treatment of women?

-When a woman married, she became the legal property of her husband

-Women could not testify in court or vote, and it was believed that women were incapable of rational thought

-Many female writers (e.g. Jane Austen) published their works anonymously or under male pseudonyms, supposedly to be taken more seriously by the literary community

What is the poem's message on women?

-It is possible to see this poem as a criticism of Victorian attitudes to women and their effort to suppress female sexuality

-It can be argued that the Duke's obsession with fixing the behaviour of his wife links to Victorian society's obsession with women being perfect

-The poem suggests that Victorian men are weakened by their dependency on power that they have over women (which is expressed in the poem through the Duke's obsession)

What are the two themes of the poem?

-One theme is political power, which is demonstrated through the ambiguous line "I gave commands"

-Another theme is domestic power as the Duke wishes to assert the power that he has in his political sphere over his wife

How is the Duchess' promiscuity presented?

"her looks went everywhere"

-Implying his wife was promiscuous

-The irony built up as the Duchess is presented as humble and grateful; she was pleased by just "the dropping of the daylight", which suggests she has an almost childlike innocence to her

-This suggests the Duke had to be stupid to think that she would be capable of deceiving him in any way

How is the Duke presented as paranoid of the duchess' "promiscuity"?

"the dropping of the daylight",

-The irony built up as the Duchess is presented as humble and grateful; she was pleased by just a sunset, which suggests she has an almost childlike innocence to her

-This suggests the Duke had to be stupid to think that she would be capable of deceiving him in any way

How do pronouns reflect the Duke?

"My Last Duchess", "I"

-The possessive pronoun "My" shows how the Duke is controlling and self-obsessed

-the repetition of the pronoun "I" also shows this

What is the significance of name-dropping the artist?

-"Fra" means brother, which suggests that the artists was perhaps a monk or a religious figure

-It seems Browning wanted to make it clear that the artist wasn't at all romantically involved with the Duchess

-So when the Duke shows his paranoia, it just reveals his irrationality

How does the Duke talk to the envoy?

-The manner in which the Duke speaks to the envoy through the terms "sir" and "you" are formal terms of address

-They clarify the Duke's superiority over the envoy

-So the Duke is keen to point out that he is socially superior, which presents him as condescending and arrogant

How does the Duke lie?

"Which I have not"

-The Duke is presented as disingenuous

-He clearly lies when he claims he could not have talked to his wife about the way he felt as he claims "I have not" "the skill in speech"

-This is false as he is speaking in perfect iambic pentameter and is delivering a long, well-structured argument to your visitor

How does the Duke control the envoy?

"Will't please you sit and look at her?"

-The Duke frames his demands as questions, as the envoy would have no other choice but to follow his commands

-The Duke is a controlling character

-The Duke remained stood as the envoy sits down, which has connotations of an almost child-parent relationship, which emphasises the Duke's self-importance

What is an example of a metaphor in the poem on masculinity?

"Neptune [...] taming a seahorse"

-Neptune was the Roman god of the sea, and is recounted in stories as a big, masculine, domineering god

-This could be seen as a metaphor for the Duke himself and what he feels is his role is over women

-In Victorian England, it was thought that the man's job was to dominate the woman and tame her wildness

What is an example of a metaphor in the poem on power?

"Since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I"

-Even after life (which the Duke supposedly took away from the Duchess), he is still in control of her

-The painting is a metaphor for the lack of control women had in Victorian society and how they were seen as the property of men

What is the form of the poem and the significance?

-dramatic monologue

-The form allows the Duke to choose what the reader hears, whether it be lies or the truth

-The reader almost becomes a detective, analysing clues which reveal key details about the Duke

What does the tight control of form reflect?

-Tight control of form reflects the tight control the Duke is trying to achieve

What is the tight control of form like?

-Completely in iambic pentameter

-The rhyme scheme is tightly controlled, with the whole poem being written in rhyming couplets

How does the structure present a lack of control?

-The tight control of the rhyme scheme doesn't have much effect on the poem because of the continuous use of enjambment, so when the reader reads the poem, the poem barely appears to rhyme

-This shows how the Duke doesn't have complete control, and is perhaps wild in his anger

How is the Duke presented as obstinate?

-As the poem is one long verse and they don't stop or change at all, it possibly reflects how the Duke will refuse to let in change, perhaps because the change would be out of his control

How is the poem overwhelming?

-When the reader reads the poem aloud, with no major breaks or pauses, they are overwhelmed

-They are left almost breathless from the immensity of the poem, reflecting how the Duke himself is an overwhelming character

What is the overall message of the poem?

-Browning's poem can be read as a message that Victorian men are weakened by their dependency on the power that they have over women

-It can be argued that Victorian men saw their wives as a reflection of themselves, and this disempowered them, because why is it so important for the Duke that he has control over his wife?