On the other hand, on “My Last Duchess”, the speaker is a Duke who is going to be remarried. As the speaker shows his new wife’s father a painting of his previous wife he describes how she was like. Unlike the previous poem, this one clearly depicts the speaker as a monster. He had his wife murdered for what comes across as fairly innocent crimes. In the following lines he states;
This painting has deviated from the standard Renaissance model in that it goes beyond depicting subjects and scene, and employs exaggerated form, color emphasis, abnormal planar depiction, and visual directionality. The aspects of this painting have become the embodiment of the story told and the characters there held. The artist has used various techniques of color, line, and juxtaposition in order to portray an idea which supersedes the sum of its parts, and thereby leads the viewer through a thought.
Through Duke Ferrara’s description of his departed Duchess, it is apparent that he is a controlling individual whose dissatisfaction with the Duchess’ loose behavior led to him arranging her death. When Duke Ferrara was talking to the marriage negotiator about the portrait he has of his last Duchess, he states, “sir, ‘twas not/her husband’s presence only, called the spot/of joy into the Duchess’ cheek” (13-15). When commenting on the expression of his deceased Duchess in the painting, Duke Ferrara claims that the blush of pleasure on her cheeks was caused by numerous individuals, not solely he. Later summarizing the tragic flaw of the Duchess, Duke Ferrara asserts, “a heart–how shall I say?–too soon made glad,/too easily impressed; she liked whate’er/she looked on, and her looks went everywhere” (23-24). With these words, Duke Ferrara alleges that too many things amazed the Duchess, which dissatisfied him. Also through “her looks went everywhere” (24), Duke Ferrara uses a reference to sexual promiscuity to demonstrate his anger toward her lack of emotional restraint. At the end of his monologue, Duke Ferrara discusses the repercussions of the Duchess’ flirtation: “O...
There is seldom a more deeply rooted bond than that between an artist and his masterpiece. However, in the poem "My Last Duchess", written by Robert Browning, it is not, in fact, the artist that possesses this bond, but the owner of the artwork. This dramatic monologue seems to be a tragic love story at first; however, as the story progresses, is it revealed to the audience that the grief-stricken Duke may have had some issues with his blushing bride. While addressing a representative of his future fiancé’s father, the Duke relays his thoughts and feelings on the untimely demise of his former Duchess. The Duke is not remorseful over the death of his bride but is instead bitter that she did not fit his expectations of a perfect wife. This is displayed through his lack of grief, his sudden remarriage, and his use of symbolic language to reveal his inner feelings.
According to Shearer West, a portrait is “a work of art that represents a unique individual”. West elaborates on the implications of this definition of a portrait, introducing the dilemma of the painter, who may strive to illustrate either or both the ideal figure, or a likeness of the sitter. Jean Germain Drouais’ resolution to such a dilemma can be observed in the painting, Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame, as he struggles to portray both the femininity of the ideal woman in the 1760s, while conveying the more present, aged and unique characteristics of the lady that captured King Louis XV’s heart.
...nners of the lover and the Duke. Fearing the final loss of life, both murderers attempt to overpower their female subjects; they turn their objects of desire into beautiful objects which can never be lost, simultaneously attaining the role of masterful subject.
...The caesura within the quote emphasizes the emotionless personality of the Duke, and his lack of value for life. He makes these choices because of his dominance in the social hierarchy, both as a male and a duke. This quote also shows the immense degree of influence one can have on another’s life, in changing it, bettering it or in this case ending it.
In contrast to Macbeth’s love for his wife, in Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ there is an absence of the romanticised emotion of love. The Duke refers to his wife as ‘My Last Duchess. Here the use of the possessive pronoun ‘my’ gives us the idea from the outset that the Duke saw his wife as merely a possession. The iambic pentameter of ten syllables per line used in the poem also emphasises possession by stressing ‘my’ further in the pattern. Browning’s portrayal of love is one that is absent of emotional attachment, but instead something by which he could possess and have power over her. It could be argued that there are similarities in the way that Lady Macbeth also uses the emotion of love. Being in the form of a dramatic monologue, use
... painted in an Idealistic way with the portrait of King Francis I by shifting the proportions and making his shoulders broader than normal. Filling out the frame of the painting, the king’s head and neck look too small on the full body, conveying the idea of manliness and strength. Both artists strived to paint the portraits in a realistic way, but distorted the subject and lighting to heighten the feeling of power that both portraits present.
Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is a haunting poem that tells the story of a seemingly perfect wife who dies, and then is immortalized in a picture by her kind and loving husband. This seems to be the perfect family that a tragic accident has destroyed. Upon further investigation and dissection of the poem, we discover the imperfections and this perfect “dream family” is shown for what it really was, a relationship without trust.
In 1668, King Charles II had a painter, Peter Lely, create a piece of Venus and Cupid, but by taking a closer look the viewer can see that it’s actually a portrait of Charles II’s mistress Nell Gwynn. The girl in the portrait looks benignly at the viewers and showed “her submission to the owner’s feeling and demand.” (Ways of Seeing 52). The king hung the painting behind another landscape so he could unveil it and make “his guest envied him.” (Ways of Seeing 52). The painting makes Nell into a prize with no other purpose but to feed the King’s ego. Even the mythology theme says more about the King than Nell given that he had a whole series of mythology erotica painting made after Lely’s Venus portrait of Nell. Despite Nell being the subject of the painting, there’s no indication of her being an actress or a wit, she’s nothing but a
images in this painting, all of which have the power to symbolize to us, the viewer, of the painter’s
The Speaker in ‘My Last Duchess’ is conversing with the servant of a count whose daughter he is proposing to marry. He treats t...
I was gratified to see that this critic agreed with my interpretation of the Duchess’s demise, viz., the Duke had her murdered. The theory advanced by my brilliant and magnificent Professor had been that the Duke gave her so many orders and restrictions that she pined away. I had been looking at his famous line “And I choose/never to stoop.” He married her for her beauty but would never lower himself to tell her when she angered him.
Therefore, our sympathies lie with the Duchess, who only desired to live the life she chose. She does her best to protect those she loves, hiding Antonio and caring for the safety of her children to the very end. She murders no one, and before her death forgives all. She is a most noble duchess and a true heroine.