Skip to main content

Is the theme of appearance vs reality seen throughout the poem, "My Last Duchess"?

Yes, the theme of appearance vs. reality is important to this poem. The text appears to capture a well-mannered negotiation between the duke and the servant of a count, sent, presumably, to broker the marriage of the count's daughter to the duke.  Toward the end of the poem, the duke says that


"his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed / At starting, is my object."


This shows that his purpose, at least, is to settle marriage...

Yes, the theme of appearance vs. reality is important to this poem. The text appears to capture a well-mannered negotiation between the duke and the servant of a count, sent, presumably, to broker the marriage of the count's daughter to the duke.  Toward the end of the poem, the duke says that



"his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed / At starting, is my object."



This shows that his purpose, at least, is to settle marriage arrangements.


However, the text's purpose really has a lot more to do with the sad story of the duke's last duchess.  The duke talks about her as he shows her portrait, saying,



"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."  



In other words, he wanted her undivided attention, to be the only one who could elicit her smiles and blushes, and, instead,



"she ranked / [His] gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift."



She was no more flattered  or pleased by his important and expensive gifts than she was by a branch of cherries or a sunset. She smiled for him, certainly, but she smiled for everyone, and he found this to be unacceptable.  So, he says, "I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together."  It sounds as though he had her killed!  That, or he treated her so harshly, demanding that she stop being so happy about everything but him, that she perished. In a similar way, then, the duke appears to be a polite but is actually a childish tyrant.  


Thus, on both the textual level, and on the level of the duke's character, the poem very much focuses on the discrepancy between appearances and reality.

Comments

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...

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...