Browning'S Introduction Of The Count Of Abuse

In Robert Browning's poem "The Last Duchess" the poet comments on two abuses in the society where he lives in: gender roles and social class differences. He effectively uses the form of a dramatic monologue (a monologue set in a specific situation and spoken to an imaginary audience) to show the misuses.

In the poem a duke, who is believed to be Alfonso II, duke of Ferrara in Italy, has invited an agent of the count of Tyrol in Austria to ask for the hand of his niece. When the agent arrives at the duke's palace, the duke urges the agent to have a look at the painting on the wall of his late wife. He praises her first "that spot / Of joy into the Duchess'cheek " (lines 14-15), but soon starts to criticize her. The duke never states explicitly that he killed his wife, but reading between the lines the reader gets the idea that he was somehow involved in the incident. In lines 21-23 the duke says, "She had / A heart--how shall I say?--too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed" and here the duke clearly critizises his ex-wife as if to justify what has happened to her.

This poem is loosely based on historical events but some characters are used fictive (or completely fictive) so Browning can make his comments on the abuses in his society.

The long passage of the lines 22 to 46 give an explanation of how the young duchess disobeyed her husband and this is an obvious example of the critique that Browning has on gender roles (the pattern of expected behavior of male and female in a society). Especially line 45: "This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together." Here are the comments on the belief that whatever the husband says is correct and the wife should obey the husband at all times. The duke almost proudly tells how his wife follows his commands as a slave and, even when still very young, stops her smiling alltogether. The duke tries to convince the agent that he will make a good husband for the count's niece and with these remarks he shows how he is in control and therefore a good candidate to be allowed to marry the girl.

A clear example how Browning comments on the differences in social