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Powerful Society
The poem “My Last Duchess� by Robert Browning is set in renaissance Italy and tells the story of an affluent Duke. The man seems well versed and also seems well respected in his community if not feared. He had his first wife killed because she did not meld to his will. He is obsessed with control and dominating those around him and expects an uncompromising level of obedience from all of whom he meets.
The first of these passages (lines seven through twelve) gives a brief description of the painting and also quickly reveal the Duke’s opinions. He begins by addressing those who view the painting as “strangers� thus alienating himself from them. By creating this distance between the viewer and himself, he is more able to affirm his dominance. They become something Other and are more easily dismissed. He continues on to tell how most of those who view the painting see “depth and passion� in her gaze. The portrait is of his last Duchess and the......

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Approximate Word Count: 1228
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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