Roman Religion And Narcissism In My Last Duchess By Robert Browning

“My Last Duchess” is a fluidic, egocentric poem by Robert Browning. The Duke is a self-centered man that acts godly. He speaks about his dead wife like she is just a pretty painting—never as a human that is living; from there I began to notice the constant use of art as comparisons. At the end of the verse the Duke talks about his statue of the god Neptune that was made in bronze just for him. “Neptune” has a much deeper meaning than what may be see at first glance. It is not just about him collecting art to make him look luxurious; alternately Browning uses Neptune to refer to the Duke, since the Duke thinks so highly of himself—similar to a god—and a god has power over everyone and everything especially his Duchess. During this era “Neptune” was defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as, “Roman religion and mythology: the god of the sea,” showing how powerful this god is, just like how the Duke regards himself in his high-ranking position. The last lines of the verse just ooze narcissism as the Duke and the man (whom is supposed to help him remarry another woman) are walking he declares, “Notice Neptune, though,/ Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for …show more content…
but thanked/ Somehow – I do not know – as if she ranked/ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/ With anybody’s gift” (31-34). He resented her for showing appreciation to anyone but him. His ancestral name is the greatest gift he could give, and she valued it the same as any other gift she received. His name is so angelic, how could she compare it to anything else? In his eyes it made no sense, she was wronging him and being unfaithful by accepting adoration from others—even though he seeks the same for himself. He wants to be idolized like Neptune but his wife is taking the publicity away from him, so the only solution is to kill