Outline for the Critical Analysis of “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
I. Introduction: (One or two sentences that catches your audience attention. The sentence(s) could be quotes, questions, statistics, or your own original attention grabber. Make sure the introduction connects to your thesis. Here is an example:) Love can blind one from all the objections and all the laws under the sun.
II. Thesis Statement: (Write your thesis statement, the one that you stuck with throughout the process. Here is an example:) In the short story, “The Story of An Hour” author Kate Chopin explores the theme of devotion and abuse.
III. Body Paragraphs:
1. (1st Paragraph gives first example from the short story, “My Last Duchess” that connects to your thesis statement. Make sure that you place this in your own words. You should have at least four to five sentences here. Here is an example, using another short story as an example:) There are many examples of devotion and abused shown within the “The Story of An Hour”. Kate Chopin first examples stems from her sister coming in to tell her that her husband had died in a terrible accident. As her sister comes in the main character feels relieved that her husband has passed away. The main character is feeling relieved not only because her husband has passed away, but she is relieved because the emotional abuse that she receives from her husband has not vanished.
a. (Source to be included in paragraph one. The source comes from one of your THREE SOURCES. You go back to one of your articles and choose a quote that connects to your thesis statement. This is simply the back of one of your note cards. Include the author’s name from the article and the title of the article, the article should be in quotation marks:) Author Mark Stewart states in his article, “Devotion in the Light”, “Kate Chopin revealed the only way she would accept a man for marriage, was to be man towards others.”
2. 2nd Paragraph gives second example from the short story, “My Last Duchess” that connects to your thesis statement. Make sure that you place this in your own words. You should have at least four to five sentences here. Here is an example, using another short story as an example:) Devotion and abuse was constantly seen throughout the short story. The next example that reveals this example was how free and secure Louise had felt once she knew she would not be abused anymore. Louise then silently to herself whispers freedom because the devotion she once felt has diminished. Now, she can be devoted to herself and the desires she wants.
a. (Source to be included in Paragraph 2 from ONE OF YOUR THREE SOURCES . Remember to include the author’s name of the article and the article’s name in quotation marks:) According to author Phoebe Frangoul in her article, “The Women Finding Love in the World of War Craft” she states, “most authors create characters that allow the readers to empathize with the same emotion that is being revealed from the characters.”
3. 3rd Paragraph gives third example from the short story, “My Last Duchess” that connects to your thesis statement. Make sure that you place this in your own words. You should have at least four to five sentences here. Here is an example, using another short story as an example:) : Author Kate Chopin surprisingly reveals to the audience and the characters that the husband was not dead. As Mr. Mallard came through the door, Mrs. Mallard realized that her abuse will continue. Here is where the audience is astonished to see that the freedom that Mrs. Mallard is looking for is certainly going to come. The love that Mrs. Mallard had for her freedom, she will certainly find in her death.
a. Source to be included from one of YOUR THREE SOURCES. Include the author’s name and the title of the article in quotation marks: Author Jeremy Longs states in his article, “Another Word for Patience” she states, “Devotion was shown throughout, both in a negative and positive way.”
IV. Conclusion: ( Write one or two sentences that sum up your essay, as you do, remember to include the author’s name and the title of the short story. Here’s an example from another short story.) Kate Chopin excellently revealed the theme of devotion and abuse within “The Story of An Hour” by creating an atmosphere of depression and struggle within one main character.
V. Works Cited
Berkove, Lawrence L. “Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.’.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Janet Witalec, vol. 127, Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=bccc_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420046600&asid=379939af046641320e2318aa076eb864. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016. Originally published in American Literary Realism, vol. 32, no. 2, Winter 2000, pp. 152-158.
Gibert, Teresa. “The Role of Implicatures in Kate Chopin’s Louisiana Short Stories.” Short Story Criticism, edited by Jelena Krstovic, vol. 110, Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=bccc_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420082715&asid=c32f412315d06e61553f24875681ab74. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016. Originally published in Journal of the Short Story in English, no. 40, Spring 2003, pp. 69-84.
Hicks, Jennifer. “An overview of “The Story of an Hour”.” Short Stories for Students, Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=bccc_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CH1420007762&asid=56e22546f409365eb8cc1fdb200501c8. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
Outline for the Critical Analysis of “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
I. Introduction: Why are women often viewed as inferior beings and objects created for man’s pleasure?
II. Thesis Statement: In the poem, “My Last Duchess” poet Robert Browning explores the theme of gender superiority and the objectification of women.
III. Body Paragraphs:
1. The poet uses the portrait of the Duchess to exemplify the objectification of women in the society. The Duchess was portrayed as a woman whose sole responsibility was to make her husband happy at all costs and this mirrors the mentality the society has of women. The Duke after being married to the Duchess started exhibiting jealous tendencies and found faults in all the Duchess did as if to say, he was looking for ways to get rid of her. He expected her to act certain ways when around people and tried to control her every move like a puppet. This control was shown when the Duke wished he could control the emotion the Duchess gave off in the painting and giving the artist one day to complete the painting. When she fails to meet his expected standards, he disposes off her like an object which has lost its value or failed to bring satisfaction to its owner.
a. Author Joseph Dupras states in his article “Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’: Paragon and Parergon” that “When we understand the point of comparing the less than picture-perfect duchess to Fra Pandolf’s rendition of her, we also get the picture of the count’s expendable daughter as a framing and framed “object” (53), no longer an illegible figure at the margins of discourse. The duke’s unhappy past with his former mate, however, is never far from the center of Browning’s poem, even when we realize that a future duchess is his “object.”
2. Gender superiority was constantly seen throughout the poem. An example of this is when the Duke seems irritated by the fact that the Duchess cherished the simple things in life and derived joy from them rather than the expensive gifts he got her and the nine hundred year old name she bears as a result of being married to him. Despite his irritation, he viewed himself as superior to the Duchess that he could not stoop to her level to share his frustrations with her. He was comfortable sharing his frustrations with his male listener but, would not do this with a woman even though that woman was his wife.
a. Author Tyler Efird in his article “Anamorphosizing’ male sexual fantasy in Browning’s monologue states that the “Nineteenth-century bourgeois masculinity was characterized by a rigid program of male self-discipline and control necessary for conformity to the hegemonic parameters of patriarchy.”
3. Robert Browning also brilliantly revealed the perception of gender superiority and objectification of women towards the end of the poem when attention was drawn to the painting, Neptune taming a sea-horse. Here, the Duke revealed his true character and idea of nobility which was to lead with superiority over anyone he marries. He spoke very lowly of the Duchess to the emissary by giving off an impression that she was a shameless and unfaithful wife, while also hinting his expectations of his next wife.
a. In the essay “Browning’s Witless Duke”, J.R Berman states that “the Duke’s little chat with the emissary of the Count in “My Last Duchess”1 constitutes a clever man’s instructions as to the sort of behavior he expects of his next wife. Finally, if he is not issuing a warning to his intended bride, it follows that the Duke, in pointing out the statue of Neptune taming the sea horse, is not suggesting “That’s the way I break them in!” (Phelps, p. 175) or “just so do I tame my wives” (Rogers, p. 519).”
IV. Conclusion: Robert Browning excellently explores the theme of gender superiority and the objectification of women within “My Last Duchess” by outlining the standards by which women are expected to live and operate by in the society.
V. Works Cited:
Dupras, Joseph A. “Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’: Paragon and Parergon.” Poetry Criticism, edited by Michelle Lee, vol. 97, Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420091372/LitRC?u=bccc_main&sid=LitRC&xid=1c2f439f. Assessed 19 July 2019. Originally published in Papers on Language and Literature, vol. 32, no. 1, Winter 1996, pp. 3-9.
Efird, Tyler. “‘Anamorphosizing’ male sexual fantasy in Browning’s monologue.” Mosaic: A journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature, vol. 43, no. 3, 2010, p. 151+. Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A238653790/LitRC?u=bccc_main&sid=LitRC&xid=8011c6ce. Accessed 19 July 2019.
Jerman, B. R. “Browning’s Witless Duke.” Poetry Criticism, edited by Michelle Lee, vol. 97, Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420091362/LitRC?u=bccc_main&sid=LitRC&xid=6b892be6. Accessed 19 July 2019. Originally published in The Browning Critics, edited by Boyd Litzinger and K. L. Knickerbocker, University of Kentucky Press, 1965, pp. 329-335.