"My Last Duchess" is a
dramatic monologue by Robert Browning.
The poem is based on an incident from the life of Alfonso
II, Duke of Ferarra. It is set in the 16th century. However the historical background takes second place to Browning.
The Duke of Ferarra is recently widowed.
"My Last Duchess" is a
dramatic monologue by the Duke. A
messenger of the Count from a neighbouring state sees the Duke to negotiate the marriage of the Count’s daughter. Instead of responding, the Duke shows the messenger the portrait of his last Duchess. The Duke tells the messenger that very few people have had the pleasure of viewing this exquisite piece of art. The Duke unveils the portrait, and the messenger notices the deeply passionate look of the Duchess.
The Duke explains that it takes very little to make the Duchess happy. She was always full of fun and jovial, easy to please and to be made happy. The Duke feels that she took everything with equal pleasure. She could not discern which was ordinary or special, things of value or those that are fake. She took equal pleasure in the Duke’s expensive gifts with that of a branch of cherries that an eager courtier obtained from the orchard for her.
The "unladylike" behaviour of the Duchess of thanking and smiling at everybody continued until it became quite intolerable to the Duke. It soon becomes apparent from the monologue that the Duke displays an obsessive jealousy with the Duchess. He gives orders and “then all smiles stopped together.” The implication is that he had arranged for the murder of the Duchess.
About marrying again, the duke displays a strikingly life-like portrait of the Duchess, his previous wife. Casually, in the next moment, the Duke goes on to tell the Count’s messenger that although he would be marrying the Count's daughter for her beauty, he would expect a rich dowry from his master. As they walk away, the Duke draws his visitor’s attention to a sculpture of Neptune taming a sea-horse. He takes pleasure in pointing out how he appreciates art.
In this monologue, Browning's main interest is in the psychology of the Duke's mental attitude, what's going on in his mind.