MY LAST DUCHESS KEY QUOTES

“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.” – This quote reflects the Duke’s possessive nature and his desire to control even his deceased wife.

“The depth and passion of its earnest glance.” – The Duke remarks on the intensity of the painting’s gaze, highlighting his fixation on his late wife’s loyalty and fidelity.

“She had / A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad.” – This line suggests that the Duchess’s joyful and appreciative nature was seen as a negative trait by the Duke, implying his desire for a more submissive wife.

“E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose / Never to stoop.” – The Duke reveals his contempt for the Duchess’s friendly and approachable nature, viewing it as beneath him.

“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” – The Duke implies that he ordered the death of his wife for her perceived flirtatious behavior, illustrating his callous and vengeful nature.

“My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift.” – The Duke believes that his family name and status are valuable enough to be considered a reward, demonstrating his sense of entitlement and arrogance.

“I said ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design.” – The Duke mentions the name of the artist who painted the portrait, suggesting that he carefully selected an artist who would depict his wife in a submissive and controlled manner.

“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse.” – The Duke compares himself to Neptune, the god of the sea, who controls all creatures, including the majestic sea-horse, symbolizing his desire for dominance and control over everything around him.

“Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift.” – The Duke reveals his jealousy and insecurity, believing his wife’s warm reception of others’ gifts to be a slight against his prestigious family name.

“Porphyria’s love: she guessed not how / Her darling one wish would be heard.” – This quote, from a different poem by Robert Browning, alludes to the Duke’s previous relationship with Porphyria, further implying his tendency to control and manipulate his partners.

“This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” – The Duke’s chilling statement suggests his belief that he has complete control over other people’s lives and destinies. FEELINGS QUOTE

“God has not said a word!” – The Duke dismisses divine judgment, suggesting his belief in his own authority and power.

“Even had you skill / In speech—which I have not.” – Here, the Duke implies that he lacks the charm and eloquence needed to convincingly express his feelings, while ironically delivering a powerful monologue.

“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, / Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!” – The Duke refers to a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse, symbolizing his desire for control and his inclination to display his power through art.

“Who’d stoop to blame / This sort of trifling?” – The Duke dismisses any objections to his actions as trivial, further emphasizing his sense of superiority and entitlement.

“Fra Pandolf chanced to say, / ‘Her mantle laps / Over my lady’s wrist too much.'” – The Duke becomes jealous even of the artist’s closeness to his wife, revealing his possessiveness and need for total control.

“But to myself they turned / (Since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)” – The Duke revels in his omnipotent role as the keeper of his wife’s portrait, suggesting his need for control extends even to how others perceive her.

“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” – This repeated line serves as a haunting reminder of the Duke’s role in his wife’s demise and highlights his belief in his own power.

“We’ll meet / The company below, then.” – The Duke ultimately decides to leave the portrait hidden behind curtains, symbolizing his desire to conceal and control his wife’s memory.

“Even had you skill / In speech—which I have not.” – The Duke admits his lack of skill in verbal communication, contrasting his preference for controlling others’ perceptions through actions rather than words.

“My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift.” – This quote underscores the Duke’s obsession with maintaining his family’s noble lineage and the importance he places on his own reputation.