Murder, Mystery and Intrigue in My Last Duchess Essay -- Robert Browni

Murder, mystery and intrigue all describe Robert Browning's poem, "My Last Duchess." From the speakers' indirect allusions to the death of his wife the reader is easily lead to think that the speaker committed a vengeful crime out of jealousy. His elaborate speech confuses and disguises any possible motives, and the mystery is left unsolved. Even if he did not kill his wife, he certainly has something to hide. Based on the poem's historical references, style and structure, the Duke's controlling and jealous nature becomes evident. An ambiguous quality about the Duke is his historical character. The incident the poem dramatizes clearly references the historical Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara, who married Lucrezia, daughter of a man who later became pope, the Medici, in 1558 (Rudy 169). Within two years of their marriage she suspiciously died. We know that Browning's Duke has a nine-hundred-years-old name of which he was very proud, and, based on his collections of paintings and sculptures, that he was a patron of arts. Both facts correspond with the historical Duke. The poem's duke of Ferrara, his last duchess, the "Count" with whose servant Ferrara is here discussing re-marring and a dowry, and the new "fair daughter" are also historical, but the interpretation of what actually took place among them is Browning's own. The style and structure of this poem plays a significant role in the effect of the poem. "My Last Duchess" exemplifies the important elements of Browning's talent for dramatic monologue, his ability to evoke the unconstrained reaction of a person in a particular situation or crisis (Bloom 35). This format suits this poem particularly well because the speaker, taken to be Duke of Ferrara, comes across as being v... ... aspects of the Duke that remain unclear include his true character. As mentioned, he is presenting his best side, but through his speech the use of historical references, style, and structure helps the reader sees how he is very jealous and controlling, which leads us to believe he may have many dishonorable qualities. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views of Robert Browning. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Browning, Robert. "My Last Duchess." Literature: An Introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 6th Edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 2001. 695-697. DeVane, William. A Browning Handbook. New York: Appleton-Century, Inc, 1955. Magill, Frank N., Ed. Magill's Survey of World Literature. 1 vols. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. 1993. Rudy, Mary K. Poetry for Students. 1 vols. Detroit: Gale. 1998. 164-171.