The poem, My Last Duchess was written by Robert Browning in 1842. The work can be described as one thats the prime example of a dramatic monologue in the form of a poem. The dramatic monologue, as a genre is a self-conversation that is presented from a particular characters point of view. This can be surmised from particular lines of the poem, including: A hearthow shall I say? too soon made glad and Wills please you rise? well meet the company below, then (Meyer and Miller). The use of first-person and the fixed perspective of the piece are prime examples of a dramatic monologue. Furthermore, the only way that the present audience gets to understand the character of the Duke is through his own words and speech pattern, which is another sign of a dramatic monologue. The main character of the poem, the Duke shows his visitors a portrait of his late wife and further describ
es her to them. The audience for the Dukes speech can be seen as a part of the poems universe, or as the readers themselves. The poem is wholly written in the first person and highlights both the character of the Duke himself and his wife. Thematically, the piece deals with topics of patriarchy in societies of the past, as well as the objectification of women. Women were often seen as disposable both in literary media and in real-life settings, being used as an accessory for men and the subject of their control. The Duke himself is largely portrayed as a stereotypical man of that time period, concerned with keeping his lady in line and regulating the way she expresses herself and how she interacts with others. It can be argued that a mans dissatisfaction with his wife is what caused her death in the first place, and the author of the poem strongly implies that conclusion.