My last Duchess.

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Alexa Bone 10D

My Last Duchess

One would believe that the primary reason for becoming emotionally involved with a partner in the form of marriage would be love, and my perception of love between two human beings is an intense feeling of deep affection or fondness for their partner. However “My Last Duchess” completely contradicts this belief.

        

        The Duke appears to have had no ability to understand his wife as little more than a beauty, and regards her solely as a painting in his grand collection now she is dead. This is evident where it says:

     “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,

       Looking as if she were alive.

       I call that piece a wonder now”

From this it is possible to believe that he perceived her beauty to be only skin deep and that he failed to understand her character when she was alive as she is only “a wonder” now she ceases to exist. Before he only showed interest in what was on the surface and was not content when she did not portray the normal wife image. She did not share his views and took pleasure from nature and the simplest things, when everything he wanted he could capture from art and literature. However now she is a wonder to him as he can admire her beauty alone.

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        There is also an autocratic sense to his character, which shows the power he holds over her. This is evident on many occasions two of which are:

        “(since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I)”

and

        “I gave commands”

These both show that he is a sole power and had a hold over her every move. It almost suggests that he owned her in the first quote, which shows how she was deemed inferior to him.

        This image of how egotistic he is comes up again between Lines Twenty ...

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