ss is no longer living, but the Duke doesn’t stop for a moment. He just continues on to brag about who the painter was by mentioning his name more than once (Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day…I said “Fra Pandolf” by design…”) This not only shows his apathy, but his arrogance too. The Duke goes on to say that “since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I,” (9-10) he is telling the listener that he doesn’t open the curtain on the portrait for just anyone. Of course, he is already beginning to show his controlling nature when he makes sure the viewer knows he is privileged to see the portrait. As well, it shows that he wants to have power over his wife in the portrait, which he did not have when she was alive.As the Duke continues (11-21), it is obvious he was angry about others paying attention to the Duchess. He thought she should be for “his presence only.” when he says “Sir, ‘twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek:” And then pointed out several comments made by Fra Pandolf, the artist who painted her portrait, “Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much, or “Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat.” The Duke complained because the Duchess “had a heart and was made happy too easily,” like when she saw the sunset in the west, or someone gave her cherries, or just rode her white mule around the terrace and received compliments. He was more than disappointed that she thought so much of these joys in her life and never treated the “nine-hundred-years-old” name he gave her any differently than she treated any other gift she received.(22-34). In the next stanza, the Duke says that even if he were skilled enough (which he really was – another touch of irony) to speak to the ...
