My Last Duchess 我的前公爵夫人.ppt

Robert Browning(7May 1812 – 12December 1889) English poet and playwright Master of dramatic verse ,especially dramatic monologues One of the foremost Victorian poets 1889:his last book, Asolando, was published the day of his death, December 12, 1889. he was buried at Westminster Abbey. Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession (1833). (his first poem) Paracelsus (1835) Strafford (play) (1837) Bells and Pomegranates No. I--VIII : Pippa Passes (play) (1841) Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day (1850) Men and Women (1855) Dramatis Personae (1864) In Browning’s poem, the duke of Ferrara is modeled after Alfonso II, the fifth and last Duke of the principality, who ruled Ferrara from 1559 to 1597 but in three marriages fathered no heir to succeed him. Some Pictures about the Duchess Theme The main themes are power, influence, marriage, aristocracy and egoism. It is possible to use blanket terms such as love and death when commenting on themes, yet love does not seem to play on the dukes mind heavily. At least he does not love women, however he does love the painting and gains joy from intimidating the messenger by commenting on?how?he had her killed. Death does occur prior to the poem, but can only be considered as an expression of the dukes control and not a comment on death itself. Dramatic monologue Rhyme rhyming pentameter lines (压韵的抑扬格双行诗) The lines do not employ end-stops; rather, they use enjambment—gthat is, sentences and other grammatical units do not necessarily conclude at the end of lines. 夫人的命运像画像本身，公爵的所有物，豪华建筑的装饰品，是主人用来炫耀的物品既然是物品就不能有超出主人要求之外的行为否则等待它的就是毁灭，这样一种完全失衡的夫妻关系不可避免地导致了公爵夫人最后的悲剧 公爵对其夫人的指责主要集中在她对别人和对自己同样友善这种不分阶级不分贵贱的友善在公爵看来是无法接受的因为一方面强烈的阶级意识让公爵觉得其夫人的言行是对自己高贵身份的一种亵渎是对贵族优雅的一种破坏而另一方面强烈的控制欲又让公爵觉得其夫人的言行是对自己权威的一种挑战就像一个狱卒喜欢看到囚犯战战兢兢的模样一旦囚犯有超乎自己控制之外的言行他就觉得失落和愤怒 从这里看来这样的愤怒和指责毫无道理它只能凸显出公爵的势利和冷酷同时刻画出公爵夫人和善、亲切、纯洁的个性此外公爵的控制欲在诗歌的结尾也有体现公爵向来使介绍另外一件收藏———海神尼普顿驯服海马这件收藏同样也有象征意义很显然公爵就像海神而前公爵夫人就是可怜的海马公爵希望其夫人是自己强大力量之下的一个禁脔这幅画和诗歌开头公爵夫人的画像首位呼应形象地刻画出公爵的傲慢和冷酷