"My Last Duchess"

The speaker in "My Last Duchess" is a duke with an overbearing, controlling personality. Speaking to a man arranging for the duke to remarry he shows a picture of his late wife from behind a curtain. "And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there; so, not the first," the man must have seen a look on the duchess' face and dared to ask the duke who made her look in such a way.(11) The duke begins to show his true jealous emotions. He accuses the Duchess of possible adultery or flirtatious behavior and treating him the same as any other man, "Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, whene'er I passed her; but who passed without much the same smile?"(lines 43-44) The accusations continue and his character becomes angry and clearly acknowledges that this type of behavior is just not tolerated. This shows that he had his last Duchess murdered. he wasn't about to be made to look like a fool. He is sending a message back to the counts daughter that she will have eyes and smiles only for him. The duke is a very insecure and selfish person.