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Essay / The Power of Voice in “My Last Duchess”
“My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is a Victorian poem that demonstrates the power of voice. This poem is told by the Duke of Ferrara who uses his voice to take control of those around him. He even speaks on behalf of his deceased wife, only explaining his perspective on the situation leading up to her death. While the Duke has a voice, his ex-wife is locked in silence and isolation. The Duke determines who is allowed to see his portrait and how much of his story he wants to share. This essay will analyze the silence imposed on the Duchess and demonstrate how the form of the poem expresses the dominant voice that the Duke maintains throughout the work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay “My Last Duchess” is a poem that demonstrates the silence imposed on a duchess, accentuated by the isolation created by her former husband. From the beginning of the poem, the duchess is represented alone and isolated: “She is my last duchess painted on the wall, as if she were alive” (1-2). The Duchess is physically attached to the wall like a portrait and cannot interact with those around her. She is a strict observer, watching others interact while she just watches. The duke even limited the number of people who could see it: “But they turned to me (since no one passes/The curtain I drew for you, but me/And it seemed that they would ask me, if they dared, / How did such a look get there Then, it is not the first / Will you turn and ask like this” (9-13) She is isolated behind a curtain and cannot? control the amount she is hidden or shown, although there are choices Few people see her portrait, she cannot speak for herself They would have questions about her, but the Duke answers her. -even to all questions, even if the duchess was alive, the duke does not express that she had a voice "Oh sir, she smiled, without a doubt, /When I passed her; but who. passed without /About the same smile (43-45) According to the Duke, she always smiled, but does not refer to any?" words she spoke. In line 13 he makes a similar statement: " Sir, it was not/the only presence of her husband, called this place/Of joy in the duchess's cheek (14-15). The Duke describes his physical presence, but does not speak of his oral communication. Although it goes without saying that she did express her feelings during her lifetime, the fact that the Duke never refers to her words supports the idea of silence and isolation imposed on the woman. His words didn't seem to matter before he died, and they don't seem to matter today. Because she is never described as having a voice, she is almost forced to be a simple inanimate object even while alive, as opposed to a living, opinionated or interactive human being. Robin Lakoff explains the importance of language and interaction with women: “Discourse about women implies an object, whose sexual nature requires euphemism, and whose social roles are derivative and dependent in relation to men. Women's personal identity is thus linguistically submerged; the language runs counter to the treatment of women, as serious people with individual opinions” (Lakoff 45). The reader's entire perception of the Duchess depends on the men around her. Every depiction of her is tied to the actions or perceptions of a man, and never of her as a human being. The men in her life overshadow her interests, thoughts or achievements. Lackoff explains the importance of appropriate representation: "In appropriate feminine speech, the strong expression offeelings are avoided, the expression of uncertainty is favored and means of expression concerning subjects deemed “trivial” for the “real” world are developed. (45). By only expressing that the Duchess often smiled, the Duke portrays her in a trivial manner. He suppresses all her strong expressions of feeling, and describes her as flirtatious and trivial. Lackoff goes on to explain how this behavior is harmful to women: “Our use of language embodies attitudes as well as referential meanings. “Women's language” is based on the attitude that women are marginalized from the serious concerns of life, which are trumped by men. Women's marginality and powerlessness are reflected both in the way women are expected to express themselves and in the way they are spoken about” (45). The Duchess (who remains anonymous) has no voice and cannot control how people talk about her. The Duke spares no words to describe her through her perception, demonstrating the helplessness she possesses. Shifra Hochberg adds: "The countertext of the Duchess's feminine desire, as this essay will demonstrate, reveals many of the paradoxes, tensions, and irresolutions underlying gender struggles for power and dominance within a cultural matrix patriarchal” (Hochberg 77). While alive, she was expected to act with strict virtue and naivety, exactly as the Duke expected of her. Once she dies, all her memories are determined by the man in her life. She didn't have a voice when she was alive, and she doesn't have one now that she's dead. The Duke in “My Last Duchess” portrays the men as much freer than their counterparts, but also as manipulative and possessive in their ways. of communication. This poem is written as a monologue in the voice of the Duke of Ferrara, meaning that every idea revealed in this poem belongs to the Duke himself. It's basically one long, uninterrupted walk of the Italian Duke. Although this monologue is presented as a conversation between the Duke and the emissary who has come to negotiate the Duke's marriage, the Duke is the only character speaking. The idea that the Duke's words are the only ones shared could mean that the Duke may consider his words to be the only ones of value and that he is the only authoritative figure. Because of this display towards another male, it is entirely possible to entertain the idea that he treated his duchess the same way, and perhaps even worse. The Duke's need for control and authority is also represented through the rhyming pattern used throughout the poem. Rhymes are formed from couplets, a very structured and concise form of communicating ideas. They appear very controlled, just as the Duke appears through his described mannerisms. The couplets are a more controlled and aurally engaging system: they are an interesting representation of the Duke's character. He speaks so eloquently about his deceased wife and his home, and it's almost easy to forget the fact that he killed his wife. Although the words he speaks are aurally pleasing, the message he conveys is controlling and manipulative. Just as the verses express, even though the events of his life do not unfold perfectly, he nevertheless speaks about them in a very controlled and systematic manner. He compiles contrasting ideas that have few unifying factors, but he doesn't break his speech. Speaking of his ex-wife, he says, “She’s there / Like she’s alive.” Don't you want to get up? We will meet again / Society below, then” (46-48). In three lines, the duke speaks of his deceased wife then invites the emissary to accompany him to meet his new wife. The Duke demonstrates controlled emotions to.