The Duke of Ferrara in "My Last Duchess" is the embodiment of pride and possession, expressed through his attitude and painting collection. Robert Browning chose the best way to showcase the self-representative Duke through his dramatic monologue. Hiring Fra Pandolf and Innsbruck's Klaus, two imaginary sculptors, collections of paintings, the reputation of the "900-year-old name", and Neptune's taming of the hippocampus represent his pride and control.
When the Duke completely controlled her portrait, the Duke liked the paintings of his last Duchess. He can uncover the curtains and enjoy the smile she wants. He hopes she will only smile at him and will not tolerate anyone. He believes that his "nine-hundred-year name" reputation should make her happier. But she is very common and smiles at the common goal of any ordinary person. Anything common can make her heart happy. She did not distinguish between the Duke's decorations, "the sun's decline in the West", and "some sly fools" of the "cherry branches."
The duke did not want to give in to correct her instead of giving orders, "all smiles are parked together." Her portrait is "alive", but when she is still alive, she is only a shame of the duke. As the Duke, he did not love his Duchess but gave orders to reflect his ruthlessness. He thinks that the Duchess is a possession and expects her to have nothing but the Duke.
Of course, he has an aesthetic feeling and a love for art. He described to the special envoy every detail of the Duchess' "open glimpse". However, searching for alive kills a living person is worthless. There is a Neptune sculpture downstairs in the Duke, taming a seahorse, nothing but the Duke's tame and control mentality. This is what the Duke expects and what he longs for.
The duke also possessed possessiveness, and he announced it through his indirect expectation of dowry. He said "although his daughter is his own", but in fact it is for himself. His pride is that he is the duke, not the ordinary duke. His sense of possession is that he believes that everyone is under his authority and command.
Orignal From: The pride and possession of the Duke of my last Duchess
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