Robert Browning wrote "My Last Duchess” to demonstrate oppression, jealousy, and pride that the speaker (duke of Ferrara) presents when he is talking about his last duchess who he murdered because “she smiled too much.” It is assumed that the Duke keeps the painting of his late wife covered by a curtain so only he can reveal her smile which was just supposed to be for him. At the end of the poem the duke mentions a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse which suggests that his wife is nothing more than another piece of art in his collection.
"Analysis of “My Last Duchess.”" Https://veritascurat7.wordpress.com. Robert Downing, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
The author talks about the social hierarchies of the Victorian Era; he includes the dukes family and how his family gives him power through their wealth and their “nine hundred year old name” The duke is in power throughout his monologue, and he controls his household by stating …show more content…
It goes into discussing the background and history of the Duke of Ferrara. It tells the reader the names and descriptions of the few characters in the poem and goes into further detail about who the duke is speaking with, and why. They analyze the poems structure by going into depth about each section of the poem while discussing the events that led up to the climax of the poem when the reader understands that the Duke had killed his wife over jealously and pettiness. They give credit to Robert Browning for writing such a simple poem that gives the reader an unsettling feeling once the Dukes true character is revealed. They even talk about how the historical aspect of the poem can be irrelevant but since Browning added it to the poem it creates an even more creepy feeling, knowing that there was a person who lived and did this because he thought he was more superior to