Narcissism in My Last Duchess

In "My Last Duchess" she dies because she did not give the Duke the admiration he desired, but when in "Porphyria's lover" Porphyria made her love for her lover clear, he kills her anyway. This perhaps shows the aggressive nature of men and how at the time they were very dominant in society.

The Duke views the Duchess’s tendency to devote her attention to trivialities, such as a beautiful sunset, and accepting flattery and politeness from other people as an insolent act of defiance. Victorian women were supposed to “keep a tight rein on both their aspirations and their behavior” (Gorham 102). Yet, the Duchess continuously disgreads this standard, much to the displeasure of her husband. By revealing that her actions cause the Duke to feel jealousy and anger, Browning alludes to men disapproving of their wives acting outside of

Like his war, his arguments exist only within him, but as his wife is now dead, no one can say otherwise. The Duke’s resentment towards his late wife in committing grave crimes (to him) justifies her post-mortem punishment and even humiliation. As he could not force her to cede her sexuality in life, he had her killed in order to triumph. By merely displaying this painting to the envoy and retelling the story of “My Late Duchess,” the Duke finalizes his intentions to embark on yet another battle to control the sexuality of his future Duchess, and claim victory of that of his previous’.

This name-dropping reveals that he is arrogant. He obviously wants the servant to offer some sort of praise about the painting as he asks him, "Will't please you sit and look at her?" He obviously likes to be in control seen as he keeps a picture one presumes he would like everyone to see behind a curtain, so that men that he doesn't wish to look at her can't. He went to the sitting for the painting because he was so jealous. He makes this clear by saying: "Sir, 'twas not Her Husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek" He disliked the way she took pleasure from all things.

Robert James Reese states in his essay, “The Power of the Duke in My Last Duchess”, “The Duke felt that his wife was too appreciative of the attention that other men paid her.” In conclusion, Mr. Robert Browning depicts in ‘My Last Duchess” that the Duke is not an ideal husband by referencing how controlling he is over women and other people in his vicinity. Mr. Browning also references the Duke’s jealous and petty actions that make him seem desperate for a way to seek attention. That is why the Duke disposes of her since she was not giving him the proper care he wanted he decided that she was not worthy. The Duke is also not an ideal husband based on his views of how disposal women are to him. His jealousy and insecurity lead him to be an unhappy self-centered

'; The Duke of Ferrara, the speaker in “My Last Duchess,'; is portrayed as a jealous, arrogant man who is very controlling over his wife. The Duke of Ferrara was made jealous by everything the duchess did, no matter how unimportant it was. He was especially jealous of Fra Pandolf, the man who painted the duchess in the poem. A woman should be pleased only by her husband, as was not the case with the duchess and Fra Pandolf. She was “too easily impressed'; by the painter (line 23).

In Browning’s “My Last Duchess”, the speaker whom we discover to be the Duke and husband of the Duchess in question is an arrogant aristocrat. At first glance, it may seem that he is a grieving husband who is proud to show the portrait of his last wife, but the more that you hear him speak, the more his true personality is demonstrated. He is critical of his late wife and wants to ensure that his visitor understands that she was unworthy to be his Duchess. In the first line, there is a hint of the Dukes personality for he uses the title of Duchess instead of her name or the word wife. This theme of objectivity continues as he states “That piece a wonder, now”.

The frequent use of caesura... ... middle of paper ... ...e painter, he praises his hands, reducing his person effectively to a mere tool that is used for painting. Then as he continues on, one can’t help but sense the intense jealousy which resides in the duke’s heart, as he scorns on how easily pleased his lady was of anything beautiful and pleasant. He cannot stand her blushing for, and smiling at everything and everybody who pleases her. He is full of self-importance, a trait that is tarnished and brought into question when his wife does not share his arrogance and haughty attitude. Such is his arrogance that having a normal conversation with his wife or telling her what he expects from her is considered by him to be below his standards.

This line is telling about the Duchess, as she was when she was alive. The Duke believes that his Duchess is a cheat, and that she doesn't try to hide it either. A husband can tell when his wife is interested in another man, cause she once looked upon him in that way she is looking upon her new male interest. The Duchess probably didn't know that her husband was watching her, while she was taking interest to her lovers. She may have thought that she and her male interest at the time were alone, cause not any woman, in that era would have been seen with another man besides their husbands.

Roderigo shows a destructive influence of jealousy in the play "Othello". His jealousy is for anyone who captures Desdemona's heart. Roderigo desperately wants to marry Desdemona, but her father Barbantio disapproved. When Iago tells Roderigo that Othello has married Desdemona without her fathers consent, he replies ignorantly by saying, "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,/ if he can carry't this" (I.i.68-69). He wanted to be with Desdemona badly and because Othello married her without consent he is jealous of him.