Skip to main content

In "My Last Duchess," how did the duke respond to the duchess’s behavior at first?

At first, it seems that the duke responded to the duchess's behavior by taking note of everything that seemed to make her happy: a cherry tree branch, a white mule, a sunset, the duke himself.  The modesty or value of the gift made no difference to her; there was no distinction in the joy she felt, whether the gift was large or small, valuable or cheap.  Finally, the duke became offended that "she ranked / [His]...

At first, it seems that the duke responded to the duchess's behavior by taking note of everything that seemed to make her happy: a cherry tree branch, a white mule, a sunset, the duke himself.  The modesty or value of the gift made no difference to her; there was no distinction in the joy she felt, whether the gift was large or small, valuable or cheap.  Finally, the duke became offended that "she ranked / [His] gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift."  In other words, she cherished his gifts, including the gifts of his status and wealth, only as much as she appreciated any other, smaller, gift, and this upset him.  He says,



Even had you skill 


In speech—which I have not—to make your will 


Quite clear to such an one, and say, "Just this 


Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, 


Or there exceed the mark"— and if she let 


Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 


Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse— 


E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose 


Never to stoop. 



What he means is that, even if he had the skill to make her understand (a skill he claims not to have), it would have required him to "stoop" or to lower himself.  He doesn't want to have to ask her to love him the best, to rank his gifts as the most worthy and valuable, i.e. not to put a bough of cherries on par with his name and title.  He isn't willing to lower himself in this way, and so he never speaks to her about it.  



Finally, he says that "[He] gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together."  So, it sounds as though he had her killed so that he could begin again with a new duchess that would appreciate him most.  If he was unwilling to speak with her about what upset him, then he certainly wouldn't have "command[ed]" her on the subject.  But since her smiles stopped at this point, we can assume that this is how and when she died.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more