My Last Duchess, the tone of the Duke

My Last Duchess

In the poem,” My last Duchess”, by Robert Browning, the Duke comes across as an arrogant man. I can picture him in my mind, a man born and raised knowing he was a duke, and demanding respect and lording down his authority. Most would not dare say anything to him, but yes sir. He, with his 900 year old name felt an entitlement not only to his name, but he also commanded and expected his Duchess to be beautiful for all to see, yet loyal to only him. When he says,”She looked on, and her looks went everywhere” (page 703), you could infer that he felt betrayed by this. He wanted her all to himself, and for others to envy.

He is talking to a Count’s secretary; telling him what he is demanding in his future wife. The Duke wants her to be beautiful, but have eyes only for him, and to be very demure in her manner; no flirting or blushing for all to see. Basically he wants an ornament on his arm. His tone seems to say it all, without saying much of anything. A great example of this is when he says, “I gave commands, then all smiles stopped altogether.”(Page 703) When his Duchess didn’t live up to his expectations, he gave the orders to have her permanently silenced. His words are golden; he can afford to do whatever he pleases, so when his Duchess no longer pleased him with her unacceptable behavior he had her disposed of, just like she is an object that is easily discarded. At the end of the poem, he says, “Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed at starting, is my object.” (Page 704) The Duke has clearly not learned a thing; he still thinks his Duchess is an object, meant to be set upon a mantle for all to observe, and to do her duty, which is only to please him. (Page 704)

Robert Browning, does a good job in setting up the tone and summing up how Duke’s felt that the world was at their command and all should bow down to them.

Kara Carpenter