Compare and contrast similarities and differences of Porphyria's lover and my last Duchess

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Compare and contrast similarities and differences of Porphyria’s lover and my last Duchess.

My Last Duchess is an example of a dramatic monologue. It is written in the first person an Italian Duke.  The audience the Duke is speaking to is a representative of a count whose daughter the Duke wishes to marry.  The Duke shows the representative a painting done of his late wife, his duchess.  He starts by exhibiting it with a great sense of pride: “Will't please you sit and look at her?”, this is because he had it painted by a famous painter ‘Frà Pandolf’; “That piece a wonder now, Frà Pandolf’s hands worked busily a day”.  The Duke speaks of how beautiful his wife was “called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess' cheek” but also how she did not respect him enough, and he says he hired someone to kill her; “I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together”.

The Duke is a very proud man “my gift of nine hundred years old name” he is saying here that when marrying his duchess, she took on his name, which was a gift and had a history of nine hundred years, he sees it as an honour.  However he feels she does not appreciate it “as if she ranked
My gift… With anybody's gift”

The counts magnificent pride is also illustrated through his enthusiasm for the painting of his duchess.  This is why he makes a point of telling the counts representative the history of it and asks him to stop and look at it “Will't please you sit and look at her?”.  

From the Dukes title we can straight away see that he is a very powerful man, secondly we notice he was not scared to confess he had his wife killed: “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together”.  He sees himself as above the law, that no one could prosecute him for killing.  

The Duke has moved on from his late wife and is already in search of a new wife, this shows he did not necessarily love his late wife but that he wanted to have a someone by his side, someone to control and have them do what he wants.  He is very selfish and seems only interested in collecting people like objects.

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Porphyria’s lover is also a dramatic monologue.  At first glance you note that Porphyria must be someone important as the name suggests precious jewel.  This poem is about Porphyria a young woman from a background of high status who has become part of a relationship with a man from a low status background, who has an obsessive love for her.  Unfortunately because of Porphyria’s status she must keep her relationship a secret, as her family would not approve.  Porphyria’s lover wants to have a proper relationship with her, to settle down and live together.  He does not want ...

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