The Duchess, looking as though she were alive, hangs on the wall as yet another possession of the Duke’s. This insecure and jealous man is the one who brings about this depressing fate. He utilizes illusion to disguise the ugly within him which is how he deceives those around him. Through his elegance and complexity in speech, it is easy to be fooled into believing that he truly loved her and became so overwhelmed with love that his judgment was clouded because of her infidelity. That is merely what the Duke wants those around him to believe because he hides the reality of the situation behind curtains and covered in paint.
“That’s my last Duchess on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.” (1-2) Initially, nothing seems to be out of place
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If one is unaware of his position he will soon make it clear. He refuses to stoop to his Duchess because of this and will make sure that the situation is under his control so that he never has to. He is the one who calls the piece a wonder, he is the one who draws the curtain, and he is the one to give final commands. These are signs of a highly insecure man who clings to his title. These are common attributes in those who obtain power. Those who are down in the spiritual sense will want to take others down to the same level as them to not feel as bad about themselves. The imagery of Neptune taming a sea horse enlightens us as to their relationship.
Through the Duke’s charm and wit, it is immensely easy to be enticed by with his flowery and well-educated speech. To not look deeper into his conniving though is very dangerous. This is true outside of a relationship as well. There are always going to be those in higher positions who sugar coat their words to spoon feed to the masses. There is a subtle message of the vital necessity to not blindly follow those who are blind themselves. On a slightly more superficial view, the message of their fake relationship can be a message to those with a significant