Character Analysis Of Robert Brownings My Last Duchess

The most attractive slice of the poem is the speaker himself, the Duke. Initially, its easy to identify him as a villain, since he had his wife murdered for what seems to be innocent crimes. And yet he is strikingly charming, both in his use of language and his genial speech. A remarkably immoral man nevertheless has a sense of beauty and of how to reel in his listener. In the dramatic monologue My Last Duchess by Robert Browning we see the grim character of the Duke that hides behind his charm and power. The Dukes extreme demand for control comes across as his most noteworthy characteristic. The obvious manifestation of this is not only the murder of his wife but also the way the Duke keeps her under the curtain. Her crime is hardly†¦show more content†¦The entirety of the poem has a skilful dramatic flair, from the unveiling of the curtain that is implied to precede the opening, to the way he gradually reveals the details of his tale, to his assuming of the envoys interest in the tale strangers like you†¦. would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there, (line 7) to his final shift in subject back to the issue of the awaiting marriage. He pretends to belittle his speaking ability Even had you skill In speech – which I have not –† (line 35) later revealing that he believes the opposite to be true, even at one point explicitly acknowledging how controlled his story is when he admits he said Fra Pandolf by design to peak the envoys interest. The envoy is the Dukes audience, as we are Brownings, and the Duke exercises a comparable control over his story that Browning uses in fashioning the ironic divide. An element of the noble life that Browning approaches in the poem is that of recurrence. The Dukes life seems to be made of repeated gestures. The most apparent being his marriage, the use of the word last in the title implies that there are possibly others. Maybe each with their own curtain-covered paintings along the same hallway where this one rests. The obvious overall theme of this dramatic monologue can be simply summed up in one word, power. The Duke is obsessed with hisShow MoreRelatedRobert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue1390 Words   |  6 Pages13, 2004 Robert Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Controlling Purpose: to analyze selected works of Robert Browning. I. Brief overview of Browning A. Greatest Poet B. Family Life II. Brief overview of My Last Duchess A. Descriptive adjectives B. Cause for death C. Description of his wife III. Definition of Dramatic Monologue IV. Comments by Glenn Everett A. Point of View B. Tone C. Audience Imagination V. Comments by Terry Bohannon A. No Christianity B. Evil Characters Robert BrowningRead MoreSimilarities Between My Last Duchess And Porphyrias Lover1113 Words   |  5 PagesTrue Love (A Discussion on Robert Brownings My Last Duchess and Porphyria’s Lover.) Robert Browning wrote many amazing dramatic monologues during his time in the 1800’s. â€Å"The English poet Robert Browning (1812-1889) is best known for his dramatic monologues. By vividly portraying a central character against a social background, these poems probed complex human motives in a variety of historical periods†(Gale). Browning was super influential with his monologues during the Victorian period and evenRead MorePorphyrias Lover And My Last Duchess Comparison789 Words   |  4 PagesMeaning Of Brownings Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess (An Analysis of Comparing and Contrasting Brownings poems called Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess) Robert Browning was a Victorian poet. He portrayed an understanding of gender rules in his poems. Browning’s poems are similar to a puzzle, which makes the reader have to figure out what is really being said in the poem. Browning wrote two famous dramatic monologue poems called Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess. His poems createRead MoreAnalysis of Dramatic Monologue in My Last Duchess1866 Words   |  8 PagesThe Analysis of Dramatic monologue In My Last Duchess Abstract: Dramatic monologue which is an important poetic form which invented and practiced principally by Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Matthew Arnold in the Victorian Period. Though the technique is evident in many ancient Greek dramas, the dramatic monologue as a poetic form achieved its first era of distinction in the work of Victorian poet Robert Browning. Brownings poems My Last Duchess and Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister, thoughRead More Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay examples1222 Words   |  5 Pages Analysis of My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Murder mystery intrigue. All describe Robert Brownings poem, My Last Duchess. From the speakers indirect allusions to the death of his wife the reader might easily think that the speaker committed a vengeful crime out of jealousy. His flowery speech confuses and disguises any possible motives, however, and the mystery is left unsolved. The poem is a great example of dramatic dialogue, a poetic form used to narrate and dramatize. It consistsRead MoreBrowning And Morality : The Victorian Era976 Words   |  4 Pageselements of the Victorian era can be seen through the analysis and emphasis of morality, particularly in regards to sexuality and the gender equality. Robert Browning is renowned writer of Victorian literature who despite critical reception, produced many pieces of literature that questioned the underlying values of society through dramatic verse. Through analysis of Browning’s Porphyria’s Lover, Red Cotton Night-Cap Country, and My Last Duchess, and a review of the literature, a relationship betweenRead More Relationships Between Women and Men in Brownings Poems Essay2589 Words   |  11 PagesRelationships Between Women and Men in Brownings Poems Robert Browning is described as ‘a love poet who was acutely aware of how women and men can be separated by jealousy or the passing of time’. In studying his poetry, what did you notice about the relationships he explores? What is revealed about the time in which Browning was writing? The ‘Love Poet’ Robert Browning was born in London in 1812. In 1846 Browning married the poet Elizabeth Barrett and eloped with her to Italy. AfterRead More On the Entrapment and Incarceration of the Victorian Woman Essay2388 Words   |  10 PagesThomas Blackburn describes the two Victorian poets, Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as being great contemporaries (47). As such it is apt that their works should muse upon and explore similar topics and themes. Their connection is especially evident in Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess† and Tennyson’s â€Å"The Lady of Shalott†. The themes of entrapment and incarceration feature heavily in both of these works. Specifically, it is the entrapment and incarceration of women which pervade their respectiveRead MoreAchievement of Self-Expression Through Concealment in Dramatic Monologue2761 Words   |  12 Pageswith and its usage attributed to the poet Robert Browning. Robert Browning has been considered the master of the dramatic monologue. Although some critics are sceptical of his invention of the form, for dramatic monologue is evidenc ed in poetry preceding Browning, it is believed that his extensive and varied use of the dramatic monologue has significantly contributed to the form and has had an enormous impact on modern poetry. The dramatic monologues of Robert Browning represent the most significantRead More Comparing the Male Characters of Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess1720 Words   |  7 PagesComparing the Male Characters of Porphyria’s Lover and My Last Duchess The creation of a plausible character within literature is one of the most difficult challenges to a writer, and development to a level at which the reader identifies with them can take a long time. However, through the masterful use of poetic devices and language Browning is able to create two living and breathing characters in sixty or less lines. When one examines these works one has to that they are quite the achievements