My Last Duchess

The speaker in "My Last Duchess" is a Duke who thinks quite highly of himself. The Duke may not necessarily think of himself as chronically unique in greatness, but he certainly believes that his family name is something that she be revered. The Duke believes that his late Duchess may have "ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody's gift." (Browning, 32-34) The Duke is a man of his time and a product of his upbringing. The Duke could have confronted the Duchess about her lack of appreciation for this gift, but there is no evidence of this. There is also no evidence of wrongdoing on her part either. It would seem that the Duke believed that his "munificence" (Browning, 49) should warrant the Duchess's affection alone. The Duke has been raised to believe nothing else, but status and name, bring affection and praise. He didn't want to mention his contention as claims it would require stooping (to her level), and he "choose(s) never to stoop." (Browning, 42-43) He believes that she should have come to him properly trained and so he is trying to express to the company of a possible suitor, what is required of his name. He wants to convey that the woman should treat him with special regard, and her, a piece of property. The poem ends sounding as if the Duke has moved on to his next piece of art nonchalantly.