This poem highlights the harsh treatment that women suffer in families and their situation is not uplifted. The duke treats the wives as processions instead of a partner. Once women stop, providing pleasures to the men their memories is in portraits to reminiscence them. Melrose (123) says that the intellect of women enables them to unleash from the convectional role. The intellect is the means by which women acquire spiritual strength. Melrose (123) says that our ideas have the impact to affect people’s personality as education brings about civility. Education empowers people and transforms their role in the society. Women as held in the poem have acquired many roles due to low intellect and education. The duchess cannot defend herself and claim her rights. The author describes the duchess as an object to please him and subject to his demands and performs the conservative roles. The duchess is unable to protest harassment practiced by the duke. The duchess exists to the duke’s bidding who murders her since she is under her control.
Melrose (125) states that the duke has a philandering culture and can only recall the memories of the duchess using the portrait. This literal text criticizes the feminist retribution about gender issues by the stereotypes. The narrator feels the sense of superiority over the duchess. The Duke killed the Duchess on the realization she was friendly to other people. In this case, the idea that the duchess was smiling to other people led to her imminent death. The feminist duties include the household duties and appear inferior to men. The duchess is a perfect example of a woman who stimulates debates on the role of women in the society.
Works Cited
Melrose, Robin. "Sites and Parasites of Meaning: Browning’S ‘My Last Duchess’." Language and Literature 15.2 (2006): 123-140.
