Characterization of The Duke of Ferrara in My Last Duchess by Robert Br

Characterization of The Duke of Ferrara in My Last Duchess by Robert BrowningThe Oxford English Dictionary defines the word officious during the 19th century as eager to please attentive, obliging. In the dramatic monologue, My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, this word describes a servant that is volunteering his service unnecessarily to the Duke of Ferraras wife. Although the speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, is speaking of this servant in a negative manner, he wishes his wife to be officious towards him the Duke of Ferrara wishes to have total tone down. So, the Duke is both discouraging and discouraging officiousness, depending on whom it is directed. The Duke of Ferrara emphasizes his need for power and control over his wife, and demonstrates obvious signs of being a control freak, whether it be purposefully or inadvertently, through the style of the dialogue, composition of the dialogue, and the treatment of the messenger that emphasizes the role of the listener. The ver se gains the readers interest from the very beginning with this line That is my last Duche...