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My Last Duchess
Introduction
Literature is used as an ideal medium through which artists and writers inform the society about various attributes. In a society that is compounded by increased dynamism, literature provides a viable mode through which the respective cultural aspects are preserved. These multiple intentions usually influence the presentation of the pieces of literature in different ways. Regardless of the underlying purposes, authors of literary works are still faced with the challenge of ensuring that the audience is informed about the intended conception. In his My Last Duchess, Browning provides a classic literary presentation that succeeds in evoking relevant feelings in the audience for effective response. In this, the duke’s speculative hatred, possessiveness and jealousy have far reaching implications on the wellbeing of the duchess. It is certain that the unfounded hatred and suspicion influenced him to commit murder.
The extreme jealousy is manifested when the Duke places the portrait of his late wife behind the curtain. The main reason for this is to prevent other men from admiring the face of the last duchess who was admittedly beautiful. This is also indicative of the extreme control that the duke had on his late wife. By hiding the portrait, it shows that the duke has the capacity to stop the duchess from interacting with the public, had she have been alive. Hiding the portrait behind the curtain was in a bit to regulate the number of men that could have a chance to gaze at the duchess’ beautiful face.
Also worth mentioning is the blush that the duke notices on the face of the duchess’ portrait. He posits that “perhaps Fra Pandolf chanced to say/ Her mantle laps Over my Lady’s wrist too much.” He believed that this could have prompted the last duchess to acknowledge the compliment. Further, he speculates that the duchess could have felt impressed and perhaps this could have made her to be attracted to the person that painted her portrait. In this regard, it should be noted that all this is mere speculation as opposed to facts that could be affirmed. It is a clear portrayal of possessiveness as the duchess could not even stand his wife’s beauty being admired by other men.
That the duke expected the duchess to entirely focus on him is a fact that cannot be disputed. In essence, he despised the duchess’ close relationships with other men and thought that she had a secret affair with them. This is manifested when he doubts whether his wife smiled at him in the same manner as she did to other men whom she interacted with. This is a clear indication of selfishness as well as self centeredness. The duke was also uncomfortable with the courteous nature of his late wife. He cites that this was a weakness that could have encouraged the last duchess to accept favors and gifts from other men. According to the duke, the last duchess “thanked men, good, but thanked, somehow…I know not how”. In this respect, it can be argued that extreme courtesy was a sign of adultery, a vice that was shunned by the society. From a historical point of view, women were expected to be reserved as opposed to being overly interactive. Nevertheless, the fact that the adulterous prepositions were unfounded did not guarantee that duke to kill his wife. At this juncture, it can be ascertained that the suspicion was driven by excessive jealousy.
The duke also manifests jealousy and discontent when he assumes that the kindness that the last duchess extended to other men during their interaction was an indication that she did not regard him with utmost respect. In particular, he duke argues that she held him in similar regard with other men. This infuriated him, especially considering the fact that he gave her expensive gifts and was her husband. This turned the love he had for her in hatred as he believed she was flirting with other men and therefore unfaithful to him.
Critical studies argue that the duchess actually disregarded her husband by being overly courteous and kind to other men. Considering the fact that they were living in a society that placed great emphasis on cultural ideals, she would have been more reserved and exhibited more love and respect for his husband. However, it is worth noting that one of the traditional roles that the duchess was expected by the society to play pertained to interacting with persons from different backgrounds. Thus the inherent gaps could have been bridged to enhance harmonic living.
Conclusion
From the preceding analysis, it is certain that literature provides an ideal platform for explicit evaluation of societal values. Indeed, it can be considered a credible source of historical information. As it has come out from the study, the duke is jealous, possessive and hates the last duchess. This is because he believes that she disregards him by flirting with other men. However, it is notable that these accusations are unfounded and cannot be proven. The inherent hatred and suspicion makes the duke to kill his wife without proving his accusations against her.
