Robert Browning's My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue, exploring themes of power, control and jealousy. The narrator is a Duke who shows his possessive nature whilst speaking about his late wife. The Duke's casual yet chilling tone implies that he had her killed because he lacked control of her emotions and interactions with others.
Monologue - a long uninterrupted speech delivered by one narrator in the presence of others
Jealousy - a hostile attitude toward a rival who is believed to enjoy an advantage
Patriarchy - a society where male figures hold the power and women are seen as insignificant
Power - possession of control, authority and influence over others
Possession - something owned, occupied or controlled
Robert Browning examines the concept of both patriarchy and political and social power by exploring how the speaker (the Duke) attempts to wield power over the domestic sphere of his marriage(s) by ensuring 'all smiles stopped'.
'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning is a dramatic monologue, written in iambic pentameter. 'Ferrara' indicates the speaker is most likely Alfonso II d'Este.
Even though she is dead, the Duke treats the Duchess as an item, only allowing select people to see the painting. He draws the curtain as a boast, a physical representation of the power he possesses. He can control who the Duchess now 'sees', which he could not do when she was alive. The speaker is most likely to be Alfonso II d'Este, the 5th Duke of Ferrara who married a 14 year old (Lucrezia) when he was 25. Alfonso's remark about his gift of a '900 year-old name' indicates he sees his bride socially beneath him. They married in 1558, he ten abandoned her for two years before she died aged 17 in 1561. There is a strong suspicion of poisoning.
Browning introduces the theme of appearance vs reality. The Duchess appears to be alive because the portrait of her is so well observed. In reality, he is consumed by the worst traits of humanity, including pathological jealousy and arrogance. He is obsessed with control and possession, evident through his use of 'my'.
The Duke's dangerous potential is fully realised. There is ambiguity surrounding the death of the Duchess yet it seems the Duke had a hand in her death. The use of caesura after 'together' signifies the end of life. His image of a tyrannical, power hungry, controlling man is complete.
The dramatic monologue is used to emphasise the speaker's narcissism.
Parenthesis and rhetorical questions create the impression of natural speech but the fact he doesn't allow the listener to respond emphasises control. So do the rhyming couplets.