The Duke's Power In My Last Duchess By Robert Browning

The poem “My Last Duchess” is complex, in the sense that many ideas can be developed about the Duke’s personality and action, and what they prove about human nature. The Duke reveals his actions throughout the course of the poem, and establishes his power over the other characters. By attempting to control his wife, the envoy, as well as the artists, the Duke proves that men in high positions of power abuse that power to achieve their desires.
In the beginning of the poem, the Duke establishes his authoritative, yet cadenced voice. He begins to describe the painting, but also asks the envoy to “sit and look at her” (Browning 262). Although the Duke asks the envoy, it is obvious that the envoy has no choice but to listen to the Duke discuss