Summary
English Lit: AQA GCSE Poetry - Power & Conflict, topic 6.1.1
Summary of My Last Duchess
Robert Browning wrote My Last Duchess in 1845, but the poem was set in the 16th century. In the poem, the Duke of Ferrara speaks to a messenger sent by a ruler from a foreign land to secure marriage for his daughter.
Summary
- The Duke of Ferrara speaks to an emissary (messenger) sent by a ruler from a foreign land to secure marriage for his daughter.
- The Duke boasts about his art and a portrait of his former wife (covered up by a curtain).
- It becomes clear that the Duke was controlling and possessive.
- It is strongly hinted that he arranged for his ‘last Duchess’ to be killed.
Protagonist (main character)
- The poem is based on a real person – Alfonso II, Duke of Modena and Ferrara in Italy.
Main ideas
- The poem explores male power and dominance.
Key Ideas in My Last Duchess
Although the subject of the poem is the “Last Duchess”, we actually learn a lot more about the Duke and his personality. The Duke is presented as arrogant and proud. His characterisation allows Browning to explore other themes, like the oppression of women and irony.
Arrogance, pride and power
- The Duke is characterised as arrogant, entitled and obsessed with pursuing control.
- He wants to dominate all aspects of his wife’s life. This is the primary way we see his obsession with power in the poem.
- The way he speaks to the messenger, and the fact that his speech is written in controlled iambic pentameter, also points to this.
Irony
- There is some irony in the poem.
- Although the Duke is trying to impress the messenger and give the impression that he has ultimate power, the way he speaks about his wife shows him to be jealous and insecure.
- Reputation and honour were of huge importance to the Duke. This is very ironic, as the poem seems to mock him and his pompousness (too serious and full of importance).
- The poem points to the fact that wealth and status do not equate to good morals.
Oppression of women
- The poem highlights the oppression and objectification of women in the 16th Century.
- Even in death, the Duke has authority over the Duchess as he decides who looks at her.
- The curtain becomes a powerful symbol of masculine dominance. It's also a reminder that the Duke was unable to control his wife fully when she was alive.
Test yourself on Summary
Who wrote My Last Duchess?
Who is the poem based on?
Which of these are true about My Last Duchess?
What impressions do we get of the Duke of Ferrara in My Last Duchess?
Who do we learn most about in My Last Duchess?