Poetry has the power to provide insight into the complexities of human interaction. Robert Browning's 1842 poem My Last Duchess influenced by the strict roles in relationships of the Victorian Era and patriarchal society, tells a story of a young man's unhelpful love. Browning elucidates the male dominance of relationships and the objectification of women by society. Through engaging with the poem audiences come to a heightened knowledge of the role of context in shaping texts.
It is clear that Browning elucidates the role that male dominance plays in relationships through the emotive language influenced by the patriarchal structure of Victorian society "Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands" This positions the audience to consider the role of the male counterpart in the relationship, placing focus on his existence. The poetic quote gave the power to provide insight to the audience into the complexities of a romantic relationship as during the Victorian Era, marriages were seen as a business transaction rather than for love and the male always over powered the female in any aspect.
This idea is further conveyed as Browning continues to comprise idea that men in relationships hold the most dominance. The Victorian age had a great impact on this poem as the series of rhyming couplets "Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive. Will't please you rise?" "Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go Together down, sir. Notice Neptune though" portrays the physical and mental dominance and power the persona had over the female as his killing of her was in attempt to keep her forever and show power over her. The idea of a marriage being a business transaction between the man and the father of the daughter was taken into further depth as these quotes explain how he agreed to the father to marry his daughter.
