My Last Duchess

Study Guide by Course Hero

ABOUT THE TITLE

What's Inside "My Last Duchess" is ostensibly about the now-deceased
duchess. However, as this is a dramatic monologue, the focus
of the poem is the narrator—the duke, speaking to a marriage
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1 broker on behalf of a count who hopes his daughter will be the
next duchess.
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1

a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2

h Characters .................................................................................................. 4 d In Context

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 6

c Plot Analysis ............................................................................................... 6 The Duke of Ferrara

g Quotes ........................................................................................................... 8
In the 1842 publication of "My Last Duchess," the word Ferrara
l Symbols ........................................................................................................ 9 was not present. It was added in 1849. The poem is loosely
based on the historical figure of Duke Alfonso II d'Este
m Themes ....................................................................................................... 10 (1533–97), an Italian duke who married a young girl, Lucrezia
de' Medici, in 1558. At the time of their marriage, the duke was
e Suggested Reading ................................................................................ 11
age 25, and Lucrezia was 14.

Lucrezia was only 17 when she died in 1561. There were

suspicions surrounding her death—some claimed she had been
j Book Basics poisoned, but this was never proven.

In 1565 the duke married Barbara, the daughter of Ferdinand,

AUTHOR
Count of Tyrol. Barbara died in 1572, and the duke's third
Robert Browning
marriage was to Margherita Gonzaga in 1579.
YEAR PUBLISHED
1842
Browning's Dramatic
GENRE
Drama
Monologues
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR
The dramatic monologue—a poetic form associated primarily
"My Last Duchess" is told in first person by an unreliable
with Browning—is a poem in which the speaker is the true
narrator.
focus of the poem. By way of his or her speech, the speaker of
TENSE the poem reveals both personality and secrets to at least one
"My Last Duchess" is written in the present tense. silent witness. The characters in these poems are supposed to
My Last Duchess Study Guide Author Biography 2

be talking about a subject, but the reader primarily learns about her lover (the speaker) appears, she bares her shoulder and
the speaker's personality and psychology. pulls him near, offering him words of love. In this moment the
speaker "knew" that "Porphyria worshipped [him]." He
To better understand why this particular form of poetry is a considers his response, and decides murder is the solution to
natural fit for Browning, the reader might recall Browning was preserve the perfect moment: "I found / A thing to do, and all
also a playwright. Although he was unsuccessful, playwriting her hair / In one long yellow string I wound / Three times her
influenced his writing. The tradition of monologues in theater is little throat around, / And strangled her." After killing her, he
longstanding. What Browning has done here is adapt the sits with her corpse "all night long."
monologue form to poetry.
These two poems are in the same collection, and both are
One example of this adaptation is evident in Browning's The spoken by men who choose to commit murder to control their
Ring and the Book (1868–69). Here he takes the short romantic partners.
monologue form and lends it to multiple characters who
collectively reveal the story of a murder. Much like English
novelist Wilkie Collins had done in The Moonstone (1868), The Ring and the Book
Browning uses his dramatic monologue to explore a mystery.
Both The Ring and the Book and The Moonstone were Browning's most famous text—the one that garnered him fame
released around the same time, and both utilize the idea of and success in his lifetime—is The Ring and the Book. This
limited narrative in early examples of detective fiction. Collins's book-length collection of 12 dramatic monologues was inspired
novel is largely considered to be the first novel-length by the 1698 triple-murder case in Italy. The historic case is of a
detective fiction. However, it is contemporary with The Ring middle-aged Italian nobleman, Guido Franceschini who married
and the Book, which does the same thing, but in a series of a young girl, Francesca Pompilia. Guido Franceschini
dramatic monologues rather than in prose. Both of these misrepresented himself as wealthy. Francesca was not actually
detective-style stories were published after the short stories of the daughter of the couple (Pietro and Violante Comparini)
American writer Edgar Allan Poe, including "The Murders in the who had raised her, but the child of a prostitute. They had
Rue Morgue" (1841) and "The Purloined Letter" (1845). The taken her as their child because they needed a child to gain an
reader will recall "My Last Duchess" was one of the poems inheritance. Over the course of the suits and countersuits,
included in Dramatic Lyrics (1842). Francesca Pompilia flees her husband with a young man,
Giuseppe Caponsacchi. She is captured and sent to a nunnery,
but she is discovered to be pregnant and is sent to live with the
Possession in Browning's Comparinis. Caponsacchi is tried, convicted, and imprisoned.
Franceschini and four men go to the Comparini home and
Poetry murder his wife, as well as Pietro and Violante Comparini.

The trial for the murder centered on the question of whether a

The death of women at the hands of men appears in three of
man could kill an adulterous wife for the sake of his own honor.
Browning's most popular dramatic monologues: "My Last
The debate lasted a month after the trial, but Guido
Duchess," "Porphyria's Lover," and The Ring and the Book. The
Franceschini was found guilty. He and his accomplices were
two poems and the book center on questions of fidelity and
executed.
control of women by their romantic partners.
Browning's The Ring and the Book tells this story in 12 dramatic
monologues that contradict each other at times.
"Porphyria's Lover"
Like "My Last Duchess," "Porphyria's Lover" is told by a man
who kills his beloved to control her. Porphyria is a married a Author Biography
woman from a higher social class than her lover. One rainy
night Porphyria comes to visit him. She lights a fire in the grate,
sets aside her cloak and gloves, and loosens her hair. When

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Author Biography 3

sonnets, and Aurora Leigh (1856), which is a blank-verse novel-

Early Life and Education length poem. She died in 1861, and Browning and his son
returned to England.
Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812, in Camberwell,
England, to Robert Browning and Sarah Anna Browning. The
elder Robert Browning worked as a bank clerk, and his wife
was a professional pianist. Thanks to his mother, young
Writing Career
Browning developed a strong appreciation for the arts.
Browning's parents paid for the publication of his earliest

The Browning family had a vast personal library of over 6,000 works, Paracelsus (1835) and Sordello (1840). They also

books, and this collection was the basis of young Robert's supported him during his foray into playwriting. One of his

education. The library included books in Greek, Hebrew, and plays, Strafford (1837), ran for five nights, but was largely

Latin, as well as many works in French, Italian, and Spanish. unsuccessful.

Under his father's guidance, by age 14 Browning had learned

Browning's productivity and success took place before and
Greek, Latin, and French. Over the next two years, tutors were
after the loss of his wife. Prior to meeting Elizabeth, he wrote
hired to teach him music, drawing, and dancing.
Pippa Passes (1841), and two collections of shorter poems,

Browning attended the University of London briefly in 1828. Dramatic Lyrics (1842), and Dramatic Romances and Lyrics

However, he only spent part of a year there before dropping (1845). "My Last Duchess" was included in Dramatic Lyrics, as

out and returning home. His family supported his artistic were "Porphyria's Lover" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin."

aspirations and supported him financially until 1846.

Although Browning's Men and Women (1855)—a collection of
51 poems—was not hugely successful at the time, it contains
the majority of the works modern readers know best, including
Marriage "Andrea del Sarto," "Fra Lippo Lippi," and "A Toccata of
Galuppi's."
Elizabeth Barrett was already a renowned poet by the time she
met Browning in 1845, and she remained far more successful In 1864 Browning published Dramatis Personae. This was his
than her husband during their marriage. Barrett taught herself first work to achieve success with the public. Like earlier
Hebrew and Greek as a child, and by age 12 had written her collections, Dramatis Personae is a collection of dramatic
first book of poetry. Her 1838 poetry collection, The Seraphim monologues. Browning's success grew even further with his
and Other Poems, was lauded by critics, who called her a poet next project. Between the years 1868–69, he wrote The Ring
of extraordinary skill. Her 1844 collection was even more highly and the Book, the story of a murder trial in 17th-century Italy.
regarded, receiving praise both in England and the United The book consisted of 12 dramatic monologues in which each
States. It also drew the attention of Browning. significant character reveals what he or she knows of the
crime. The project was extremely well received by the public
The two met in May 1845, but the bulk of their romance was and critics alike.
carried out via written correspondence. Elizabeth's father had
told his children they were not allowed to marry, so the In the ensuing decade Browning continued to publish volumes
courtship between Elizabeth and Robert had to be conducted of poetry. He had finally achieved success and earned his
in secret—as was their marriage on September 12, 1846. After place as an important literary figure in society.
their marriage, the couple moved from London to Florence,
Italy, where they resided from 1847–61. Their son, Robert
Wiedeman Barrett Browning, was born in Italy on March 9, Death and Legacy
1849.
Browning died on December 12, 1889, at his son's home in
Browning was not particularly productive in this period.
Venice, Italy. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster
However, Elizabeth released several works, including her
Abbey in London.
Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850), a collection of love

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Characters 4

Browning's legacy stems largely from his development of the

dramatic monologue, which was a precursor to the birth of the
field of psychology.

h Characters

Duke of Ferrara
A dramatic monologue reveals more about the speaker than
about the subject, so the duke's personality is the true subject
of the poem. In his words he reveals he is wealthy, has a
deceased wife, and is seeking a new wife. The duke is the "only
one" to open the curtains that cover the late duchess's portrait,
indicating he is a controlling man. He has a long family history
(a 900-year-old name), and he is arrogant, choosing never to
"stoop."

Duchess of Ferrara
The duchess, according to her husband, was easily made
happy, enjoyed nature, riding her mule, and his presence. She
did not, however, enjoy his presence more than everything
else. In his monologue this is presented as a shortcoming.

Marriage broker
The marriage broker is negotiating on behalf of an unnamed
count who wants his daughter to be the next duchess. During
the discussion, the duke invites the marriage broker to see his
private art gallery. There hangs a portrait of the last duchess,
now deceased. The broker sits on a bench to view the painting
as the duke describes its creation and the fate of the duchess.
Afterward, the pair go back downstairs to continue their
negotiations.

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Characters 5

Character Map

Duke of Ferrara
Wealthy, arrogant widower

Spouses Audience

Duchess of Ferrara
Marriage broker
Deceased young woman;
Negotiating emissary
subject of a painting

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Plot Summary 6

He did not tell her she had failed in any way. He goes on to
Full Character List explain even if she were willing to "be lessoned" (taught) and
did not make excuses, that would be stooping. He says she
Character Description smiled when she saw him, but it was the "much the same
smile." So he "gave commands" instead, and "all smiles
The Duke of Ferrara is a widower stopped together."
Duke of Ferrara with a "nine-​hundred-​years-​old
name."
The Lesson
The deceased duchess is the late
Duchess of
wife of the duke, and the subject of The duke ends his story about his last wife with, "There she
Ferrara
a painting.
stands as if alive." His next statement is an invitation to his
listener to "rise," and go downstairs to greet the rest of the
The marriage broker is an emissary
Marriage broker sent by a count whose daughter company. At this point he mentions "the Count your master's
may marry the duke. known munificence," clarifying to whom he's been speaking (a
representative of a count who is known to be generous). As he
continues, the duke references "dowry" and "his fair daughter's
self," thereby explaining he has been speaking to the
k Plot Summary representative of a wealthy count whose daughter the duke
intends to take as his next duchess.

As they walk, he invites the servant to walk at his side (an

The Set-Up extremely odd request to a servant), and points out another
piece of art—a bronze sculpture of the god Neptune "taming a
The poem opens with the ominous pronouncement "That's my
seahorse"—by another fictional artist, Claus of Innsbruck.
last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were
alive." The duke relates the painting was completed by Frà
Pandolf, and then goes into detail about the talents of the
(fictional) painter. c Plot Analysis
As the duke continues, he notes viewers who were permitted
to see the painting looked at him as if they wanted to ask
questions. The duke points out he is the only one allowed to
Meter and Rhyme
open the curtains on the painting, implying he knows what
"My Last Duchess" is written in heroic couplets: pairs of
people would ask as no one can see her without his presence.
rhymed lines in iambic pentameter. There are 28 rhyming
As he continues, he tells the listener "so, not the first / Are you
couplets. This means every two lines (a couplet) rhyme:
to turn and ask thus."

That's my last duchess painted on

The Duke and Duchess the wall, (a)
Here the duke makes clear why he believes the last duchess Looking as if she were alive. I call
was lacking—she thanked everyone equally. She blushed over
Frà Pandolf's praise, and was "too easily impressed." He cites (a)
things that brought on "that spot of joy"—the sunset; cherries That piece a wonder, now; Fra
given to her by "some officious fool"; or riding her white mule.
In fact, she thanked them the same as she thanked him for his Pandolf's hands (b)
"gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name."
Worked busily a day, and there

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Plot Analysis 7

she stands. (b) Narrative Reliability

Iambic pentameter is one of the most common meters or Notably, the duke has said others have "turned" to him and
patterns of rhythm. Each line has 10 syllables—one unstressed "seemed as they would ask me, if they durst." He does not say
syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. An easy way to anyone has actually asked, nor is it clear the listener has
conceptualize stress is to think of beats. A line has five (penta- asked.
) beats (iambs):
He further expresses he could not express himself clearly,
denying the same "skill in speech" he demonstrates in his
That's MY / last DUCH / ess monologue. These lines—which reveal dishonesty—will make
the reader question the truthfulness of the duchess's history
PAINT / ed ON / the WALL the duke shares with the count's servant.

This was a meter used often by English playwright William This narrative reliability also invites the reader to question the
Shakespeare, English poet John Donne, English poet duchess's fate. The implication in the duke's statement—"I gave
Alexander Pope, and English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. commands"—is he had his wife murdered. This is furthered,
incidentally, by the historical source of the poem. The death of
the historical Duchess of Ferrara was suspicious, and
Art poisoning was suspected, but not confirmed.

There are two pieces of art in the poem. The first is the Regardless of the reliability of the duke's statement, his
painting of the duchess, which can be seen only with the pronouncement he "gave commands" establishes his power,
duke's permission. The second is the sculpture of the Roman and he is not to be trifled with.
god Neptune taming a seahorse so it can be controlled. In both
cases the art serves as a symbolic representation of control
over a weaker entity.

This focus on art is also indicated by acknowledging its

creators. Both of the artists are named: painter Frà Pandolf,
and sculptor Claus of Innsbruck. Notably, these are not
historical figures, although the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara
are—as is the servant of the count to whom the duke is
speaking.

The Reader
Within a dramatic monologue, the reader is either positioned
alongside a stated audience, or eavesdropping. This poem lists
an audience: the servant of the count. Because there is a
stated audience, the reader can position him or herself
alongside the servant of the count, or in the position of
overhearing the duke.

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Quotes 8

reader will recall here, however, this is a dramatic monologue.

g Quotes What is revealed is the duke's nature. His possessiveness and
manipulation of the listener are revealed here.

"That's my last Duchess painted

on the wall, / Looking as if she "She thanked men ... but thanked /
were alive." Somehow ... as if she ranked / My
gift of a nine-hundred-years-old
— Duke of Ferrara
name / With anybody's gift."
The subject of the poem is the duchess. The central image of
— Duke of Ferrara
the poem is this painting of her. What stands out about the way
it is described here is the tone of "looking as if she were alive."
Is this mentioned because of the painter's skill? Is it ominous in Here, finally, the reader sees the issue is in the value the duke
that the duchess very clearly is not alive? It reads has assigned himself—and he did not believe the last duchess
suspiciously—more so after finishing the poem. revered his "gift" as she should have. The gift in question was
bestowing his name upon her. For this he believed she was not
sufficiently grateful.

"Sir, 'twas not / Her husband's

presence only, called that spot / "Even had you skill / In
Of joy into the Duchess' cheek." speech—which I have not—to
— Duke of Ferrara
make your will / Quite clear to
such an one ... / ... E'en then would
The duke tells the listener the duchess was full of happiness,
be ... stooping."
and initially, the implication is the duchess is at fault. There
were reasons—other than her husband's presence—she was
— Duke of Ferrara
full of joy. The implied meaning here is the duchess was guilty
of a misdeed.
This line stands out as the one outright lie in the monologue.
Contextually, the reader can find flaw in numerous statements
"She had / A heart—how shall I the duke makes, but this is probably false. He has skill with
speech—if the poem is read as his words.
say?— too soon made glad, / Too
Interestingly, the "lie" of the line only works as a lie if the reader
easily impressed." accepts the poem as the character's monologue.

— Duke of Ferrara

"I choose / Never to stoop."

The duke's tone becomes thick with insinuation. He notes the
duchess was "easily impressed," and the growing indication is — Duke of Ferrara
her attention went where it shouldn't have. Questions of
infidelity are raised by the tone and context of the poem. The
The duke's arrogance is apparent throughout the poem, and

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Symbols 9

this line is particularly revealing of his character. He indicates — Duke of Ferrara

even telling the duchess where she had been wrong was
beneath him.
The reader might recall the earlier line in which the duke says

However, he is now telling a servant. This suggests he either he has no "skill in speech." Here the duke has slipped in a

saw his wife as lower than the servant of a noble of lower rank, reference to a dowry—the count's wealth—and the daughter's

or he is not being honest about why he put a stop to the last beauty. His "object" is the next duchess, but he references

duchess's happiness. Or perhaps, none of this is about the last both the count's reputation for generosity (munificence), and a

duchess at all, but about the next duchess. dowry.

This is, in fact, a warning to the count's daughter about how Note also he refers to the next potential duchess as an object.

the last duchess behaved, and it angered him enough he is In the context of the two pieces of art he points out to the

seeking a new duchess. listener, this is a curious word to use.

"I gave commands; / Then all "Notice Neptune, though, / Taming

smiles stopped together." a sea-horse, thought a rarity, /
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in
— Duke of Ferrara
bronze for me!"
While the duke never states outright the command was her
— Duke of Ferrara
death, this line implies it. This is further emphasized when the
duke states his late wife looks "as if alive" in her portrait, and
the listener is the emissary of the count whose daughter is to The duke flaunts the names of both a painter and a sculptor,
marry the duke. with the assumption it is clear they are talented and part of the
elite. The duchess's portrait draws comments, and the
sculpture is "thought a rarity."

"There she stands / As if alive." The duke is showing off to a servant of a lesser noble. His
reasons for doing so are a subject worth questioning,
— Duke of Ferrara especially as this poem is a dramatic monologue.

A painting being described "as if alive" is often praise for the

l Symbols
artist's skill, but here it carries a darker implication. The reader
knows the duchess is not alive. The duke is speaking to a
servant to negotiate his marriage to the next duchess.

Painting of the Duchess

"Your master's ... munificence / Is
ample warrant that no just
The most prevalent symbol in "My Last Duchess" is the
pretense / Of mine for dowry will painting of the duchess. The artwork, one in which the duchess
be disallowed; / Though his fair is "looking as if she were alive," is completely under the duke's
control. He is the only one allowed to pull back the curtain with
daughter's self ... / ... is my object." which it is covered. He chooses who can look upon her face,
and "the depth and passion of its earnest glance." This is in

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Themes 10

direct contrast to the depiction the duke gives of his late wife's famous artists, and by his long-standing family name (nine
behavior in life. When she was alive, "she liked whate'er / She centuries of history). The duchess, however, finds joys in
looked on, and her looks went everywhere." In death the duke simple things.
can contain and control the duchess in a way he could not
when she was alive.

m Themes
Bronze Sculpture by Claus of
Innsbruck Arrogance

The symbol of the sculpture at the end of the poem is one of The theme of arrogance is significant in "My Last Duchess."
dominance over a subject: "Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a The speaker—a duke whose wife is deceased—does not
seahorse, thought a rarity, / Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in present himself as sorrowful over the loss of his wife. Instead,
bronze for me!" Here it is not a duke controlling who sees a he reveals throughout the monologue he is conceited. The
painting of the deceased duchess, it is the sea god "taming" a reader will do well to recall although the poem is, in theory,
seahorse. The reader may also recall one of the stated flaws of about the titular "last duchess," this is a dramatic monologue.
the duchess was her pleasure in riding a mule around the Therefore, the poem is about the duke. What he reveals as he
terrace. speaks about the duchess is more significant than what he
would have the listener believe about her.
The common phrasing for taming a horse is "breaking" the
horse. The objective is for the animal to learn to accept being From the onset of the poem, the duke's sense of self-
ridden, and to obey its master's commands. The sculpture importance is evident. He begins by pointing out a painting of
represents a powerful being exerting power over a weaker the late duchess. He stands with the servant of the count
subject. The duke is aligned with this art, and he intentionally whose daughter was selected to become the next duchess. A
points it out to the servant. The art is expensive—another count is of lower rank than a duke, but the duke speaks to the
representation of the duke's power and status. count's representative as if he were an equal. The duke
emphasizes seeing the painting is a treat: "Since none puts by
/ The curtain I have drawn for you, but I." The duke alone
controls access to the duchess now. No one can look upon her
Nature portrait without his consent.

According to the duke, when the duchess was alive, she smiled
and found joy easily: "She thanked men—good! but ... ranked /
The symbol of nature—as opposed to art or prestige—is My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody's
associated with the duchess. Three things the duke cites as gift." It can be implied the duke believed the duchess
drawing the duchess's attention are aspects of nature: "The considered these other sources of joy not inferior, but equal, to
dropping of the daylight in the West. / The bough of cherries ... his gift. Moreover, the listener in the poem (and the reader of
the white mule / She rode with round the terrace." The the poem) will note the duke is confused by this. "I know not
duchess's attention was given to the sunset, fruit, and a mule, how," he says.
and all three brought her the same joy, which she
demonstrated in the presence of her spouse. The duke's arrogance also is conveyed in his revelation he did
not tell his wife what he perceived as slights: "E'en then would
The duke, on the other hand, is represented in two art items—a be some stooping; and I choose / Never to stoop." It was
painting of his wife, and a sculpture of a sea god taming a beneath him to tell her where she had faltered in his estimation.
seahorse. He demonstrates wealth via the arts, created by

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My Last Duchess Study Guide Suggested Reading 11

It is not simply the duke's revelations about the duchess that of the father of his future wife, and he conveys his message
illustrate the theme of arrogance. His pointed references to art using direct speech, implication, false modesty, art, and
objects reveal his self-importance. Although both artists gesture.
referenced in the poem are fictional, the duke expects to elicit
admiration from the servant when he mentions a name: "I said / The direct speech is the clearest example. The entire poem is

'Frà Pandolf' by design, for never read / Strangers like you that a dramatic monologue about the last duchess. In his words the

pictured countenance, / The depth and passion of its earnest duke highlights what he perceives to be the shortcomings of

glance." Not only does the duke have control over who looks at his deceased wife.

the duchess, but her portrait is also a work of art. The duke's
The duke falsely claims he is not "skilled" in expressing
own status is apparent because he possesses art created by
himself—"Even had you skill / In speech—which I have not—to
such fine artists. This is also paired with the close of the poem,
make your will / Quite clear"—to explain why he had not
where the duke points out another piece of art—Neptune
informed his last wife where she was failing. This is followed
taming the seahorse—that is "thought a rarity." From start to
later by an admission that to tell her would be "stooping."
finish, the poem demonstrates the theme of arrogance.
Direct explanation was beneath him.

Communication of the duchess's flaws is also done by way of

implication and insinuation: "She had / A heart ... too soon
Power made glad, / Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er / She
looked on, and her looks went everywhere." The duke does not
directly accuse his deceased wife of infidelity, but he implies it.
The duke possesses great power, because of his "nine- Later, the duke reveals the duchess was fascinated by such
hundred-years-old name," his wealth, or his social class. His things as a sunset and a mule. Nonetheless, the duke suggests
family name is old and, in his estimation, should garner respect. her attention should have been on him and his "nine-hundred-
The failure of his late wife to provide him with the respect he years-old name," rather than on other things.
deserves resulted in her "looking as if she were alive."
The duke acknowledges occasionally his wife did give him
With no apparent hesitation, the duke tells the listener: "I gave attention: "Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, / Whene'er I passed
commands: / Then all smiles stopped together." He has the her; but who passed without / Much the same smile?" In calling
power to commit murder, and the power to avoid punishment the servant "sir," the duke is appealing to the listener's own
for his actions. In fact, the listener is the servant of the count vanity. The duke continues this subtle communication by
with whom the duke is negotiating to marry the next duchess. walking with the servant, rather than in front of him, as would
The count and his daughter are being informed of the duke's befit his status: "Nay, we'll go / Together down, sir."
expectations.

The last duchess is deceased. She displeased him by failing to

give him the respect he believed he was due, so he "gave e Suggested Reading
commands." The visit with the count's servant serves as an
opportunity to warn the future wife about what is expected of
Massie, Allan. "Robert Browning Deserves a Little Fuss." The
her.
Telegraph, 12 Dec. 2014.

Muskal, Michael. "Victorian Poets in Love: Barrett and

Browning Letters Go Oonline." Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb.
Communication 2012.

Pinsky, Robert. "Mike Wallace Reads Robert Browning's 'My

Last Duchess.'" Slate Magazine, 19 June 2012.
"My Last Duchess" encompasses various modes of
communication. The duke is expressing himself to the servant "A Victorian Treasure." The Hindu, 20 Sept. 2017.

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