An Analysis of the Use of the Fictitious Painter, Fra Pandolf in My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay

In Robert Browning's poem, My Last Duchess , the imagery of wealth and power are cleverly illustrated through the use of the fictitous painter , Fra Pandolf.The use of Fra Pandolf by Robert Browning is to clearly indicate to us the reader that it was a very expensive painting. The imagery of wealth in this poem is used to divulge cruelty or evil intent. We see the cruelty in his character , with the callous way he revealed he had murdered his wife, I gave commandsThen all smiles stopped. There she standsAs if alive.Extreme wealth equals extreme power, how else would he have been able to murder his wife without facing imprisonment. He shows his wealth through the use of Fra Pandolf, I call That piece a wonder, now Fra Pandolf's handsWorked busily a day, and there she stands.to mention the name of an artist, is to allude to famous painters we can refer to as being very expensive, possibly even priceless. To mention the name twice, "Fra Pandolf " by design, is to allow us the reader to begin to immediately draw conclusions about this man's character.The importance of the use of Fra Pandolf is to reveal the character of the man.For the reader to begin asking questions about what type of man he is, this is important because the man is giving his 'side of the story', A heart -- how shall I say?--too soon made glad,Too easily impressedshe liked whate'erShe looked, and her looks went everywhere.He is trying to evoke our sympathy. That he had this philandering wife and all he wanted was to please her. Yet, our suspicion was been aroused when he keeps referring to his status, My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old nameWe begin to have a glimpse of what life might have been like for the unfortunate duchess. To live with a man so consumed by wealth, that he grew jealous of her happiness and considered it ridiculing...