Class: Degree 2nd Year
Sem: Degree 4th Sem
Subject: English
Unit 2; Poem- The Last Duchess
State: Telangana
1. The Last Duchess Author: Robert Browning
Robert Browning, the most important Victorian poet, was born on May 7, 1812, in Camberwell, which was located in London. He was born into a literary surrounding, the parents having him acquainted with literature and arts from an early age. Browning's poetry portrays his talent for dramatic monologues, his favorite form through which he could get into "the labyrinth of the human mind. "Common topics in his plays are love, enviousness, power, and good and bad. Browning’s influence on English poetry is also profound, which is why his legacy is celebrated worldwide in the circles of fine literature.
2. Summary of the Poem: The Last Duchess
The Duke of Ferrara, the main character in Browning's "The Last Duchess", turns out to be truly scary, living in the period when Alfonso II, the Duke of Ferrara, was ruling his lands (16th century). The poem is written in a dramatic monologue format and the Duke is the character in question, with him talking to an emissary who has come to persuade him to marry the next queen. The Duke recounts how his past wife (the "last duchess," who is now dead) was victimized in the painting that was made of her.
The Duke begins by displaying the messenger the painting of his former spouse, painted by the friar Pandolf. In his analysis, we discover that the shortcomings of the Duke manifested in his estrangement as a result of the Duchess' beauty and liveliness. He takes a hint at his jealousy when she insistently flirts with fellows beside him and says that scolding him is inappropriate solid proof of that.
The duke's jealousy intensifies as he keeps recalling the character of the Duchess in his opinion, in which she later demeaned. Next to him, she laughs. He doesn't understand but she might be doing so because of her infinite adoration. The degree of the Duke's possessiveness is noticeable as he bemoans the fact that he cannot stop her actions, nor can he bewitch her to have her whole attention only for him.
Actually, the Duke shows the more sinister character of himself just by saying the Duchess is dead. He implies that he ordered her execution because of her unfaithfulness. Thus, she might have been beheaded at the king's order or at least the king was aware of what happened and approved of this. The poem then comes to the final stanza where the Duke directs the emissary to his discussion of his next marriage and he seems to be just forgetting all the while what happened to his late wife.
"The Last Duchess" is the way Browning helps us broach the delicate subject of jealousy, power and control. The Duke's blind drive to dominate his wife, as one more example of uncontrolled envy and a sense of entitlement, is presented in the story as a warning against abusive behaviours.
The Last Duchess Conclusion
"The Last Duchess" by Robert Browning is a terrific poem about jealousy and power in the mindset of a cruel and discriminating husband. Now and then, it makes me look back and restrain myself from becoming too attached. Browning’s transition, therefore, advises its readers on the essential factors of empathy and understanding, making the relationships between people well.
