Summary of Robert Browning's My Last Duchess
This is the summary of My Last Duchess written by Robert Browning. In this resource, you can know the gist of this dramatic monologue and true life incident which propelled to write this is also referred. This is very useful for all students to write assignments and answering various types of questions in examinations.
Robert Browning
Robert Browning is expert in dramatic monologues. He is very well experienced to show the deep psychological insights of characters in his poems and other writings. It clearly shows the scholastic achievement of him. He is simply superb in projecting human spheres. In Andrea del Sarto, he projects the woman character in negative shade with psychological insight. In 'My Last Duchess', he projects male character with negative shade. The same element 'smile' is central point in two writings. His writings are so concentrated that it is not possible to understand varied meanings at a go. We have to read several times in order to understand the writings of him in detail. This proves his grip on several subjects and streams. It is this makes his readers not understand his writings. Generally, readers expect more from writers, but in the case of Robert Browning, he expects more from his readers. That is the specialty of him. His writings are filled with obscurity and it is difficult to understand.Summary of My last Duchess
The beginning itself, there are two persons seen on the stage. One is duke of Ferrara and the other is an agent sent from the count. The agent has come to negotiate with the duke about marriage. Count has sent the agent to tell he is interest in giving his daughter to duke in marriage bond. Then the duke takes him to his room which is art gallery. There he uncovers a picture. He says no one can see these pictures without his permission. He uncovers the picture of his last duchess. He begins to narrate what has happened to her. The last duchess has come with a good amount of dowry. She is beautiful yet innocent. He has given nine hundred years glory to her. She has smiled to show the gratitude towards the duke. The duke is not satisfied with the behavior of the duchess. She smiles always as she is good at heart and shows gratitude for even petty gifts as donated by the people. The duke is hurt on the reason being shown equal response to his bestowing of nine hundred years of heritage and glory and a bunch of cherries presented to her. His ego is hurt. He does not like hurling of her smiles at everybody. He wants those should be given to him as he has given a precious gift to her. The tyrant could have persuaded her but it is the matter of his dignity. If he says her not to smile at all, it may lower his dignity before her. Then he wants her to stop her smiles not being reduced his dignity. He orders his men to murder her in order to stop her smiles forever. Her innocent smiles are no more. The duke tells this to confidential agent who has come to negotiate marriage talks. He says this picture is drawn by a monk. That too, it is drawn in a single day, not giving much scope to intimacy. The possessiveness tendency of him woman as an object is heinous.
After referring the last duchess, the duke says that he needs good amount of dowry according to his stature and at the same time he says that the beauty of the girl is more important and preferred than dowry as it is prestige issue for him. He says clearly to the agent that the same will be repeated if he is not satisfied with the bride. This is warning to the girl and agent who have been sent. As an agent leaving he shows the bronze statue which depicts Neptune taming sea horse. This may have some intention to show or as a matter of making him stay for more time to know his further intentions. Thus, Robert browning makes his writings unnecessarily difficult to understand properly. The Neptune taming sea horse projection has led to so many understandings. Few assume that it is out of his general behavior to show off; he might have shown the statue to show his artistic supremacy in containing them. Few assume that he is very arrogant that he wants to keep everyone under his beck and call. Thus it is obscure to understand. The other point is that all laughs are to be stopped. Generally it shows that the duchess is murdered at the behest of duke. But, it may bring other meaning as she may be sent to convent or a difficult position where she cannot laugh again like that anymore. In one interview, Robert Browning says his intention to say is that she may be murdered or can be sent to convent. Thus in writing of Browning, there is obscurity, concentration of expression in few words and high scholastic expressions are seen.A true life incident
This story might not be a fiction. It is related with real life incident which might have inspired Browning to put on paper. There is great resemblance to the happening of an incident related to Este family. They have been ruling since long ago. The duke of Ferrara represented might be Alfonso II of Este family. At the age of 25, he married Lucrazia. She belongs to lower strata than Alfonso's Este family which has nine hundred years of heritage. But, Lucrazia is only newly elevated family. Even though she brought good amount of dowry, she could not live happily at the Duke. But, only after three years of her marriage she breathed her last in suspicious manner. It is not known the reasons of her death. There are rumors at that time of poisoning. Then Count of Tyrol has sent his agent to negotiate for marriage with his sister Barbara. The agent who has come is the native of the capital city of Tyrol which is Innsbruck. Now it is clear that why duke has shown the Neptune taming sea horse. It is because he says that it is made by the sculptor who is the native of the same Innsbruck. The sculptor is Claus of Innsbruck. So, he is saying that your sculptor only has made and given this especially for me. But the inner meaning to use Innsbruck is that Browning secretly telling the world that it is directly linked to that city and the untoward incident happened in nearby place. This is genius of him. Actually, Fra Pandolf the painter of the picture of Last Duchess and Claus of Innsbruck, who is the sculptor of Neptune taming sea horse are fictional characters in this true incident. One of them is a clue to say that this is related to a true incident.