My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

My Last Duchess; Into The Minds of Men

Robert Browning

 

Introduction

Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812, Camberwell, a suburb in London. When Robert Browning first wrote "My Last Duchess" it was in 1842. This day in age women were viewed as men's property in marriage (1). They were not viewed as men's equal or desired in an emotional way that marriage is today. Browning wrote from the views of others, based on his very own philosophy of how people think. When Browning first started writing he was criticized for his work not being comprehendible. His friend, Charles Macready, encouraged him to write drama (4) and in his own style. He chose to write in his own style which was dark humor. He also wrote different poems about men and women and his own self love for his wife. His work that was in regard to love for his wife did not get great reviews like his work of men being superior to women did. This had to do with the time it was written. When "My Last Duchess" was written in 1842 along with his other work women were viewed as objects.


Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Influences
When reading into Brownings early life and his life with his wife I found his father-in-law to be very interesting. Browning first met his wife by going to her family home to speak to her on her extraordinary poetry. Eventually he fell in love with Elizabeth and she too. There was a problem where he father did not allow for his children to marry. It is said that her father felt a sense of jealousy when it came to Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father had twelve children, his wife died not shortly after the youngest child. Her mother was treated as an object to birth children. Elizabeth and Robert ended up marrying in secret and ran away from her childhood home to be together. After reading "My Last Duchess" It can be interpreted that Browning took on the role of Elizabeths father. He chose to view women in a male hierarchy (3) and view marriage positions how any other typical man did in that era. 

 

Analyzing "My Last Duchess"

Browning described the basic theme (2) of this poem to be wariness, recklessness, and control. If read the poem the theme seems to be very obvious looking at how the narrator, the duke, readers can assume murdered his wife, the last duchess, for being to happy. Not only was the duchess too happy but he took her smiles at other men and her kindness as committing adultery. The tone of the story is also very cold and mysterious. When looking into the text and Browning's background/philosophy he takes on the role of other men. Other men saw women as items they can use and dispose of whenever they wished. Women did not have the right to divorce, family, property, etc. In the short poem this is expressed, the man having all of the control to do as he wished. Even potentially committing murder. 

Imagery of the last duchess

                    Was "My Last Duchess" a true story?

In a news article "Did Browning murder his beloved wife?" (2) by the Evening Standard there has been speculation that he murdered his dear wife towards the end of her life. Robert Browning was the one that was in charge of administering his wife Elizabeth's medicine towards the end of her life. Elizabeth suffered from mental illness's such as anxiety and depression along with a spinal injury from falling off a horse in early adolescence. Doctors could not pinpoint many of her illnesses for a while, she eventually became opium addicted. Towards the end of her life her doctors did up her dosage, it is  a conspiracy that Robert, her husband, gave her more than the prescribed amount. Why would he do this to the woman he wrote love poems about? Jealousy is the only answer that would make sense. Elizabeth was more successful with her writing than Robert ever was with publications. Was it a mercy killing? Did he believe his work would succeed if his wife was no longer in the way? Was he influenced by the men around him and his father in law? No one will ever know the true answer to if Browning wrote "My Last Duchess" from personal feelings and actions, if he simply was writing from the views of men around him. That is for you to decide for yourself. 



Citations

Analysis of Poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Poem-My-Last-Duchess-by-Robert-Browning.

Meredith, Michael. “Did Browning Murder His Beloved Wife?” Evening Standard, Evening Standard, 12 Apr. 2012, https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/did-browning-murder-his-beloved-wife-6416513.html.

“Robert Browning and My Last Duchess.” Victorian Era, 7 May 2020, https://victorian-era.org/robert-browning-detailed-biography/robert-browning-and-my-last-duchess.html#:~:text=The%20age%2C%20when%20women%20were%20grasped%20more%20as,marriage%20position%20of%20women%20predominant%20in%20the%20society.

“Robert Browning's Literary Style and Short Biography: Litpriest.” Lit Priest, 20 Apr. 2020, https://litpriest.com/authors/robert-browning/. 

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