Irony in "My Last Duchess"

Paper Summary:

In this essay, the writer explains that Robert Browning's poem, "My Last Duchess," is a monologue delivered by the Duke to someone who turns out to be part of a party arranging a new marriage to a new young lady for the Duke. The writer discusses Browning's use of irony throughout the poem. The writer points out that Browning uses irony to chilling effectiveness as he illustrates the Duke's quiet tyranny over his last young wife. The writer concludes that in the greatest irony of all in the poem, it seems that the Duke has caused the careful, measured responses in his Duchess that angered him to the point of murder.

From the Paper:

"It is a likeness of her. His last Duchess is dead, and he has apparently killed her. He is displaying her picture as part of his shopping expedition for a replacement. In addition, the fact that her likeness hangs on the wall reminds the reader of the practice of hunters who hang the heads of the animals they have killed on the wall for display. The Duke feels very special about this particular prey; most of the time her likeness is concealed behind curtains, which he rarely opens for others. It reminds the reader of modern-day serial killers, who often keep some object as a trophy of their acts."
"The Duke calmly explains why his last Duchess had to die, although he never states the crime itself. His reasons, however, ironically reflect on him and not on his young wife, and suggest a completely egocentric person with a severe case of paranoia."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Browning, Robert. "My Last Duchess," in The Victorian Web: literature, history & culture in the age of Victoria. Accessed via the Internet 5/11/06. <http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/duchess.html>
• Gibson, Mary Ellis. 2003. "Robert Browning." Victorian Poetry, Vol. 41.
• Starzyk, Lawrence J. 1998. "Browning and the Ekphrastic Encounter." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 38.

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