My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue in which the Duke of Ferrara speaks to the servant of a Count who has come to arrange the Duke's next marriage. As they walk through the Duke's palace, he stops before a portrait of his late wife, the Duchess.

The Duke proudly shows the painting and explains that it was painted by the artist Fra Pandolf. He says that only he draws the curtain covering the portrait, so only he can decide who is allowed to see it.

As he talks about the Duchess, the Duke reveals that she was a kind, cheerful, and innocent woman. She smiled easily and appreciated simple pleasures such as sunsets, flowers, gifts, and acts of kindness. She treated everyone with the same warmth and gratitude, whether they were ordinary people or her husband, the powerful Duke.

The Duke disliked this behaviour because he wanted the Duchess to value him above everyone else. He believed that his noble family name, which had existed for "nine-hundred-years," deserved special respect. Instead of speaking openly to the Duchess about his feelings, he kept his dissatisfaction to himself. He considered it beneath his dignity to explain why he was unhappy.

Finally, the Duke says, "I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together." This mysterious statement strongly suggests that he ordered the Duchess to be killed or confined, causing her joyful smiles to end forever.

After speaking about his late wife without showing any remorse, the Duke calmly returns to discussing his new marriage. He reminds the Count's servant that the Count's daughter will bring a generous dowry, although he claims that the young woman herself is his main interest.

As they leave the room, the Duke points to another valuable artwork—a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea horse. This final image reflects the Duke's desire to dominate and control others, just as Neptune controls the sea horse.