"My Last Duchess," a poem by Robert Browning, is a dramatic monologue spoken by the Duke of Ferrara, who is showing the portrait of his last duchess to a messenger. The Duke reveals his immense pride and possessiveness as he speaks about the Duchess and her behavior.
Critics have analyzed the poem from various perspectives, including feminist, psychoanalytic, and Marxist. One common theme among these interpretations is the portrayal of the Duke as a controlling and manipulative character.
From a feminist perspective, the Duke's treatment of the Duchess can be seen as a reflection of the patriarchal society in which the poem is set. The Duke sees the Duchess as his property and is concerned with how she behaves and is perceived by others. He speaks of her as if she were an object, saying "I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together." This suggests that the Duke sees the Duchess as something to be controlled and manipulated rather than as a human being with agency and autonomy.
Psychoanalytic critics have also focused on the Duke's controlling behavior and have suggested that it may be motivated by feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. The Duke's desire to control the Duchess may be a way of compensating for his own feelings of inadequacy or a desire to prove his own worth.
Marxist critics have argued that the Duke's possessiveness and control over the Duchess can be seen as a reflection of the capitalist system, in which people and resources are seen as commodities to be owned and controlled. In this interpretation, the Duke's treatment of the Duchess is a metaphor for the way in which capitalist societies treat workers and resources.
Overall, "My Last Duchess" has been widely interpreted as a commentary on power dynamics, particularly in relationships and within society. The Duke's possessive and controlling behavior towards the Duchess is a reflection of the societal norms and power dynamics at play in the poem's setting.
