Domestic Violence In My Last Duchess

In the story “My last Duchess,” the Duke is speaking to the envoy of another nobleman of his second bride to be. The Duke describes the circumstances of his last duchess in which it was painted and boasted how Fra Pandolf the painter made her “look as if she was alive”. The Duke continues speaking about the unfortunate fate of his former wife. It is evident that a crime has been committed; He was jealous and annoyed of his easily impressed wife so he murdered her. His tone and demeanor is one of extreme arrogance and it is clear he is a dangerous man who poses a threat to any and all women he claims to love.

Browning closes My Last Duchess by establishing that envy can lead a person to commit extreme acts and hinder their- or someone else’s sanity. Browning uses characterization to exploit the character development of the duke and also enhance how envy can lead

In Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine writes about Ben Tanaka’s relations with women, indirectly commenting on relationship between different races. An overarching theme through the novel is the gendered double standard that Ben holds when it comes to an Asian person's relations with white women versus white men. A double standard is defined by Merriam Webster as: “a set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances than to another; especially: a code of morals that applies more severe standards of sexual behavior to women than to men” (“Double Standard”). The second half of this definition is the most relevant part of our analysis of Ben. When Ben visits Miko in New York after she moves, he’s upset when he sees her on the arm of someone he assumes to be a white man despite having been with a white woman himself. This double standard that Tomine portrays reflects both Ben’s own perspectives and his inability to see past gender and race. Another important aspect to keep in mind is the use and danger of fetishization as talked about in Shortcomings. A fetish, according to Merriam-Webster, is: “An object or bodily part whose real or fantasized presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression” (“Fetish”). The most important part of this definition is the second half, as Ben’s fixation on white women interferes with his sexual expression. Shortcomings emphasizes double standards and fetishizations through the repeated illustrations of women and through a comparison to Alice’s lesbian relationship to prove why Ben treats women in the book the way he does.

Ancient Egypt had a strong and well-organized government for many reasons. Pharaohs are exemplary when it comes to representing a well-organized government. They are the top dogs of Egypt. These rulers had dynasties which ruled over Egypt, sort of like the Caracalla dynasty of Rome. There were over 30 dynasties in Egypt. An instance of a dynasty was king Ramesses the second. Additionally, there were rules to being a pharaoh and how these rulers are proclaimed. This shows well-organized government because it is preventing people from randomly declaring themselves pharaoh and keeps the citizen of Egypt in line. One rule, for example, is that a Pharaoh could have many wives, but only one could be the great wife. The great wife’s son would be the

The characterization of the Duke in “My Last Duchess” and the characterization of the speaker in “Porphyria’s Lover” further establish Browning’s messages about love. In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke is portrayed as arrogant and believes he is superior to others. Because of his status as Duke, his arrogance becomes prevalent, as he brags about his “gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name.” He also believes he is superior to others, especially the Duchess, as

The Duke of Ferrara is a character and the speaker in the poem “My Last Duchess,” by Robert Browning. The reader witnesses a man that is controlling and whom will destroy anything that he cannot control. One realizes immediately, the extent of the Duke’s need for power in the title and in the first line when he uses the term “My” which shows ownership (Browning). The Duke cannot control the Duchess’s “spot of joy,” (Browning line 21) therefore; he commands to have her killed (Browning line 45). He still feels the need to control the Duchess, even after death. This control is revealed when he opens the curtain and declares, “(since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)” (Browning line 9-10). The Duke is speaking to a

“The number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex-male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war” (Vagianos). Domestic violence is an important research topic to raise awareness and conciseness because it tears thousands of family’s apart every year. The effects of domestic violence range from economic to psychological consequences. Domestic violence occurs in a wide range of situation affecting women, men, children, the elderly, gays, and lesbians. This essay will focus on South Caroline women’s domestic violence.

In Robert Browning’s poem, My Last Duchess, is about a conversation surrounding a portrait. The focus swirls around the untimely death of the duchess, Alfonso II last wife, because of some impropriety. She looks alive, and the duke attributes this to the skill of the painter, Frà Pandolf. This serves to remind the reader that the duke does not approve of the way the duchess handled herself. Evidently, the duke does not approve of the zest for life that the duchess exhibited. He of course compliments her beauty,

Love, death, and infidelity were weaved through the readings this week. In “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, the speaker is a Duke who is looking at a painting of his last (now deceased) Duchess and remembering her. His memories are not fond; he was jealous and possessive, and frankly, a bit of a drama queen. His suspicion is evident repeatedly, starting in line 13 where he states, “Sir, ‘twas not/ Her husband’s presence only, called that spot/ Of joy into the duchess’ cheek”. Lines 21-24 boldly say what he was alluding to earlier on, “She had/ A heart—how shall I say? —too soon made glad,/ Too easily impressed: she liked whate’er/ She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.” She blushed easily and enjoyed looking at things, so in his mind she was a bit promiscuous. He thought his wife unfaithful basically because she was polite. This, as well as his uppity attitude, are both made clear in lines 31-34, “She thanked men, —good! but thanked/ Somehow—I know not how— as if she ranked/ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/ With anybody’s gift.” He thinks that his name alone is a better gift than anything else; he’s conceited and entitled.

In My Last Duchess, the Duke was heavily jealous of his past wife, which is one reason why he wanted to keep the mystery of his painting a secret. He had mixed feelings about this woman, “She had/ A heart... how shall I say?...too soon made glad./ Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er/ She looked on, and her looks went everywhere” (Browning 21.24).

The poem “My Last Duchess” is a historical event that involves the Duke of Ferrara and Alfonso who lived in the 16th century. Robert Browning "My Last Duchess" presents a narrative about a recently widowed Duke who talks with an emissary had come to an arranged marriage with another lady from a powerful and wealthy family. In the perspective of Duke, power and wealth were integral in marriage and was determined to be married to a wealthy lady from a famous family. As the Duke orients the emissary through the palace, he stops and shows a portrait of the late Duchess who was a lovely and young girl. The Duke then begins by stating information about the picture and then to the Duchess. Duke claims that the Duchess flirted with everyone and did not appreciate the history of the family: “gift of a nine hundred years old name.”(33) However, when an individual continues to read the poem, it is evident that the Duke played an important role in killing the lady. Duke states that “he gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”(45-46) he used these words to define the death of his beloved Duchess. The aim of the essay is to analyze literary devices that emphasize the content of the poem, which includes rhetorical questions, exclamation mark, and em dash.

The portrait of Dr. Gachet is one of Vincent van Gogh’s most revered portraits. There are two authenticated versions of the wonderful painting. They are both oil on canvas, and were made in June, 1890. They are easily distinguished by their different colours and the way uses to make them. The first one was auctioned at a record price of $82.5 million when sold in New York. It depicts Dr. Paul Gachet, who took care of Van Gogh during the months of his life.

“My Last Duchess,” written by Robert Browning, is simply about a male who was not specially treasured by his, now dead, spouse. The parody of Browning’s poem, “My Ex-Husband,” written by Gabriel Spera, is in a woman’s point of view pondering on a past relationship where she felt she was not properly respected. In both poems, the speakers are reflecting on past relationship conflicts pertaining to the importance they had in their spouse's lives. The speakers' in “My Last Duchess” and “My Ex-Husband” each have different personalities and values, which prompts each individual to react in different ways.

In "My Last Duchess", by Robert Browning, the character of Duke is portrayed as having controlling, jealous, and arrogant traits. These traits are not all mentioned verbally, but mainly through his actions. In the beginning of the poem the painting of the Dukes wife is introduced to us: "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,/ looking as of she were still alive" (1-2). These lines leave us with the suspicion that the Duchess is no longer alive, but at this point were are not totally sure. In this essay I will discuss the Dukes controlling, jealous and arrogant traits he possesses through out the poem.

Browning’s poetry has been analysed for centuries and still presents relevant ideas, influencing those interested in changing ideals. A flawed individual who gains power through a high position will begin to expect things they don’t deserve, thus endangering others through the process and of being consumed by pride and jealousy. Browning imagines “My Last Duchess” through the perspective of the Duke of Ferrara who lived during Renaissance Italy of the 16th century, when a man was expected to be able to control his wife and she was only appreciated for her beauty and compliance. Similarly, Browning’s “The Laboratory” exposes the strict class structures of aristocratic France where the women were expected to be pure and impermeable to such base