Entry 5
Jordan Rice
ENGL 1302.P15
2/25/11
His Last Duchess
The Last Duchess by Robert Browning is an interesting dramatic poem written entirely in dialogue. It gives an interesting perspective as he tells his story of his portrait depicting his former wife “looking as if she were alive” (Browning). He immediately begins to both ask and answer why the duchess blushed for the portrait. It quickly becomes clear that the Duke became jealous of the attention his wife gave to others as much as himself. “She had a heart... too soon made glad, too easily impressed,” (Browning) because he clearly noticed the looks she would give to men who sought to please her. The Duke wanted to be the only thing in the Duchess' life that brought her joy and warmth. She made no attempts to hide her pleasure with every simple act. It wasn't as though she would frown at the Duke or even ignore him, she simply gave him a smile and nothing more. The Duke thought that his 9-century name alone was a gift to be cherished, but his wife was impressed by the most mundane events and people. He did not want the same smile that others received, and so he ordered for the smiles to end. The Duke is clearly still affected by all of this, it must have recently happened, as he vibrantly described his outrage that he did not receive the utmost love from his wife as he desired, and proceeds to tell the audience that he deliberately had her killed. He plays it off as if nothing is wrong and begins to show other artifacts in his manor.