MY LAST DUCHESS
MASTER ANSWER (6 MARKS)
By PKG Sir
Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess" is a famous dramatic monologue. The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara, who is showing a portrait of his late wife to a messenger. Through his speech, the Duke reveals his own cruel, arrogant, and possessive nature. He tells the messenger that the Duchess was too easily pleased by everything. She smiled at everyone, whether it was the sunset, a bough of cherries, or the Duke himself. This made the Duke very jealous because he wanted her attention only for himself. He felt that she did not value his "nine-hundred-years-old name" enough.
The Duke was too proud to tell her to stop, so he "gave commands" and "all smiles stopped together." This line suggests that he had her killed to silence her forever. Now, he keeps her behind a curtain so only he can look at her. In the end, the Duke points to a statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse. This symbol perfectly describes the Duke’s character. Just like Neptune tames the wild sea-horse, the Duke wanted to tame and control his wife. The poem shows how extreme pride and the desire for power can destroy human relationships.
Comments
Post a Comment