“Who is the Duke of Ferrara?” It is more difficult for some to mask their
personality traits than others. Even though the Duke of Ferrara, in “My Last
Duchess,” a poem by Robert Browning, attempted to conceal his traits he could
still be seen through. In the midst of a party, the duke steps aside for the
negotiation of an alliance. The more the duke aims to cover his traits the more
apparent they became. The duke did not intend for his arrogance to be shown as
much as it was. The poem had an arrogant tone. He made a point to put emphasis
on himself or “I.” The extra comment “since none puts by the curtain I
have drawn for you, but I” was not required. He felt the “gift of a
nine-hundred-years-old name” should not be equal to lesser gifts from others.
The one trait that was the most apparent was his possessiveness. The first line
sums it up with, “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall.” It would
have been just as simple to say, look at the painting on the wall. As they are
returning to the party the duke is sure to point out more of his expensive
artwork. The first thought of his shrewdness is the whereabouts of his last
duchess. He never mentions her location. Questions of her death, banishment, or
incarceration come to mind. When the duke could not handle the smiles anymore,
he ordered them to cease. The smiles stopped. All the effort put into hiding his
personality was useless. He was transparent. No matter how much energy is put
into hiding ones personality, the true person will always be seen.