"My Last Dutchess"

In "My Last Dutchess" written by Robert Browning, the speaker is a very jealous and sefish man. There is many examples that portray this behavior. One of them is how he has her picture behind the curtain, so only he can see it. It is as though he wants to keep her to himself and doesn't want to "share". A wife is something you should be proud of and want everyone to get to know her and think well of her, as you do. Not something that you want to hide and have all to yourself. He doesn't even want his own wife smiling at other people. When he realizes that she is doing so, he becomes very angry. In his sick, twisted mind, she should only be smiling at him.
Now the duke is a very high noble man and he is the ruler of Farra. But as the poem goes on, you begin to realize he is also the ruler of his own wife. This obbsessive, dictative lifestyle, eventually led to the own murder of his wife.