My Last Duchess (Unit 9)

"My Last Duchess" written by Robert Browning is a poem about a duke and his a painting of his late wife that he has hanging on the wall. He is talking to the father of his possible future wife. This poem is very complex in it's words but in the end it all comes together and the reader realizes the story the poem is trying to tell. The duke is the very possessive and jealous type of husband. His late wife had a wondering eye, "..Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere." (Lines 23 and 24, Browning) He felt as though she did not appreciate him or who he was because "she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody's gift." (Lines 33 and 34, Browning) He was of a high social class because he was the duke of Farrara and he did not appreciate his wife straying herself and her wondering eye. The poem gives the feeling that he possibly murdered her or had her murdered. "Who'd stoop to blame This sort of trifling?" (Lines 34 and 35, Browning) Basically this says who would blame him for wanting her dead? If she does not want to appreciate him, then she will not be able to appreciate anybody.