My Last Duchess

My Last Duchess (New Criticism)
The poem My Last Duchess opens with the unnamed Duke of Ferrara showing off a
painting of his wife saying Thats my last Duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were
alive (Lines 1-2). Right off the bat we get the gist that the Dukes wife has probably passed
away. The second phrase was a dead giveaway but the use of the word last which means
former or past implied as much. However, it can also mean that the Duke may have had other
wives before his last one and that the recent one is his last duchess on a list of many others.
The Duke then spends the next few lines praising the beauty and quality of the artwork, calling it
a wonder (line 3). He also does a great deal of praising the artist and repeating Fr Pandolfs
name, intentionally namedropping him. It shows us how proud he was that such a great artist
painted something for him. It is after this part where we learn that the Duke is talking to
someone.
In lines 5-10, we start seeing a glimpse of the Dukes possessive and controlling
personality. First, he tells the man he was with to sit down and look at his wifes portrait. Then he
explains that he mentioned Fr Pandolf on purpose because every single person who has seen
the painting always wonder who the artist was. Since only he has access to the painting hidden
behind the curtain, they would always turn to him for questions. But since the Duke is rather
terrifying, only those who were bold enough would durst or dare ask him how his wifes
expression was captured perfectly.
After the Dukes appraisal of the painting on the wall, he shifts to complaining about how
his wife easily blushed with simple acts of courtesy. He imagines how the painter might have
elicited his wifes reaction by giving her compliments that caused her cheeks glow. Then in line
22, he starts complaining about her too directly, saying his wife had a heart too soon made glad
and too easily impressed. He also takes on an accusatory tone saying how she was being
flirtatious and how her looks went everywhere (line 25). Then he begins to list some of the
things he considered petty that made his wife happy. Clearly, he doesnt approve of how these
things drew the same gratitude and expression from his wife especially when she treated his
nine-hundred year old heritage equal to any of her gifts. This shows how the Duke thinks highly
of himself because of his lineage. Also, notice the word stoop in line 34, the Duke really thinks
it was beneath him to lecture his wife on things he believes she should know already. He then
continues to talk about his wife. We get the impression that the wife is a cheerful, polite and
nave woman who just happens to smile at everyone.
Apparently, this behavior of hers grew and then the Duke drops a bomba sinister line:
I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together (line 45-46). This line is made more
dramatic by a short pause that one cant help but think of what his listener was feeling as he
heard this. The said listener is brought back into the picture when the Duke tells him to stand up
for they had company to meet downstairs. We finally learn his identity as the Counts envoy or
representative. Also, we now learn the purpose of this whole chitchatthe Duke was meeting
the envoy of a Count in the middle of marriage negotiations. The Duke tells the envoy that as
much as he wants a generous amount of dowry, the Counts daughter was still his object (line
53). The use of word object may mean that the girl was his goal or that she would be another
one of his possessions. At this moment, it appears that the envoy was about to leave when the
Duke stops him. On their way, he points to a bronze sculpture of the god Neptune taming a sea-
horse. This image shows exactly what the Duke wantsto tame or control everyone around
him.
The Duke of Ferrera is not just a rich man who likes to own pretty artworks, he is a man
who wants to possess and control people as well. He is used to getting things done his way and
refuses to lower himself. The poem shows the Duke as a pompous, snobbish man who likes to
brag about his wealth and art collections. The fact that the painting was on a higher floor and
covered by curtains implies that the Duchess, even in death, is still controlled by her husband.
He is depicted as someone cold, calculating and ruthless. He never showed any affection for
his wife, he did not even mention her name once in the entire poem. The way he calmly and
casually talked to the envoy about his wifes death meant that he had no remorse whatsoever.
Robert Brownings poem My Last Duchess is considered a technical feat. It is written in

iambic pentameter to sound just like normal conversation and uses enjambment so the words
flow in between lines. Each line has ten syllables with the rhyme scheme aa, bb, cc and so on.
Aside from that, such sophisticated syntax and elevated manner of speaking reflects the Dukes
educational background and his complex way of thinking. The poem perfectly mirrors the Dukes
dark tone yet ironically polite manner of speaking. In lines 35-36, he claims he had no skill in
speech yet he was able to deliver a long one while uninterrupted and was able to use deep
words and complex sentences. But while the Duke is eloquent in his speech, somehow when it
comes to describing his previous wife, he is at a loss for words. As seen in these lines: She had
a heart how shall I say? too soon made glad (line 23) and But thanked somehow I know
not how (line 32).

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My Last Duchess (New Criticism)

Robert Brownings poem My Last Duchess is considered a technical feat. It is written in

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