Different Forms of Power Presented in My Last Duchess, A...

Different Forms of Power Presented in My Last Duchess, A Woman to Her Lover and La Belle Dame Sans Merci Amongst the three love poems examined in this essay, the theme of male or female power in relationships pervades throughout. The views of the speakers are expressed and defined through literary and poetic techniques. This gives the reader an insight into the speakers problems and dissatisfaction with a relationship, due to an imbalance of power. However there are dissimilarities between the poems - for example where in La Belle Dame Sans Merci the female displays supernatural power and dominance over a knight, the Duke in My Last Duchess desires psychological power over his Duchess. The†¦show more content†¦Also the Duke believes himself to be above the level of common people saying he would never stoop down to their level. From this we can presume the Duke is afraid of losing his power, and would rather hold his head up high and suffer for it rather than stoop. The use of this word indicates that the Duke is in a state of mind where he sees himself as superior compared to others. However as we read on we learn that the Duke had limited control over his wife. He states that She had a heartà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to soon made glad, showing that he felt she was amused easily and distracted away from him - perhaps by other men. This is amplified further when he says She liked whateer she looked on, showing he believes she undermined his control over her and paid attention to other men . We can infer from this that the Duke was disturbed about his deficit of restrain over his wife and is deeply angered at how she thanked men other than himself. The Duke is outraged at the lack of affection he receives from his Duchess, and provides the reader with reasons as to why he deserves more. The Duke says She ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybodys gift. Here the Duke explains that his supremacy, which he received from his family name, has stretched over several centuries and his Duchess should therefore appreciate him for it. His contenders have a lot less to offer but stillShow MoreRelatedAnalyse the Different Forms of Power Presented in My Last Duchess, A Woman to Her Lover and La Belle Dame Sans Merci2181 Words   |  9 Pagesfemale power in relationships pervades throughout. The views of the speakers are expressed and defined through literary and poetic techniques. This gives the reader an insight into the speakers problems and dissatisfaction of a relationship, due to an imbalance of power. However there are dissimilarities between the poems - for example where in La Belle Dame Sans Merci the female d isplays supernatural power and dominance over a knight, the Duke in My Last Duchess desires psychological power overRead MoreShakespeare s Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, My Last Duchess And Three Others?2245 Words   |  9 PagesHow is love presented/explored in the poems Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, My Last Duchess and three others? (Intro) Love is a constant theme explored in English Literature and can be presented through a variety of connotations, such as romantic, sexual and possessive. The poems Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and My Last Duchess all portray these notions. Sonnet 116 presents a real, romantic and everlasting love, as the poem explores the meaning of love in its most ideal form. This is reflectedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 182829 Words   |  12 PagesWithin these respective poems, the poets explore love in various forms. In Sonnet 116 we see love as pure, immeasurable and immortal; William Shakespeare continues this conceit in Sonnet 18 too. Within My Last Duchess, love explores the submissive and possessive side effects of being completely infatuated, which similarly links with La Belle, however instead of patriarchal power, domination is shown through a woman. First Love is comparable to both Sonnets, in which love is portrayed passionately