Poem Analysis Of 'My Last Duchess' By Robert Browning

‘’My last duchess’’ by Robert Browning is a poem that explores many themes, themes that were regarded as rather unusual in a time like the Victorian age . Many critics spoke highly of Browning’s techniques; he used diction, rhythm and symbol. Those were really evident in most of his dramatic monologues.

According to the Victorian web, ‘’the last duchess’’ delves into the theme of marriage and relationships, since the dramatic monologue revolves around a painting of his previous wife and is presented to his wife-to-be’s count. As we dive deeper into this monologue, we notice countless themes arising, these include; sexuality, power, art, youth, innocence and a little hint of madness. Besides the many themes that the monologue explores, there is an aspect of dramatic irony throughout the entire monologue which creates a sense of confusion and imbalance that is portrayed in the character. Also, we can see that it is evidently a dramatic monologue because it consists of an occasion that is the painting, a speaker who is the duke and the hearer which is the count. …show more content…
This captivates the reader and reels them in further as it allows a concise relationship to form between the character and reader. It also permits the reader to grasp an accurate, attached and sympathetic understanding of the monologue. The persona in the last duchess has been criticized by many theories. A feminist theory states that he speaks directly about a woman but never adds anything that she has said or experienced, he only speaks of her as though she is an ‘’object’’. There is also a psychological perspective that addresses the duke himself and states that it reveals the twisted thoughts, values and ideas of the duke, this was termed as