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ThepoemisbasedonincidentsinthelifeofAlfonsoII,DukeofFerrara(1533–1598)inItalywho,attheageof25,marriedLucrezia.Shewasaveryyounggirlbutnotwelleducated,andherfamilystatuswasinferiorincomparisonwithnine-hundred-years-oldEstefamily.Shecame,however,withasizeabledowry.Shediedin1561afterthreeyearsofmarriage.ThentheDukearrangedanothermarriageforhimself;inordertoensuretheamountofdowry,theDukenegotiatedthroughanagenttomarryanieceoftheCountofTyrol.ThepoemissetduringthelateItalianRenaissance.Thespeaker(presumablytheDukeofFerrara)isgivingtheemissaryofhisprospectivesecondwifeatouroftheartworksinhishome.HestopsbeforeaportraitofthelateDuchess,apparentlyayoungandlovelygirl.TheDukebeginsreminiscingabouttheportraitsessions,thenabouttheDuchessherself.TheDukedescribesherhappy,cheerfulandflirtatiousnature,whichhaddispleasedhim.Hewantstoshowhimselfoffandshowhiswife’sdisloyaltytohimbutonthecontrary,thereadersfindoutheisasavage,small-mindedman.TheDukethenresumesanearlierconversationregardingweddingarrangements,andinpassingpointsoutanotherworkofart,abronzestatueofNeptunetamingasea-horse.Speaker:ThespeakeristheDukeofFerrara.Thepoemrevealshimasaproud,possessive,andselfishmanandaloverofthearts.Heregardedhislatewifeasamereobjectwhoexistedonlytopleasehimanddohisbidding.Helikestheportraitofher(thesubjectofhismonologue)because,unliketheduchesswhenshewasalive,itrevealsonlyherbeautyandnoneofthequalitiesinherthatannoyedthedukewhenshewasalive.Morever,henowhascompletecontroloftheportraitasaprettyartobjectthathecanshowtovisitors.CharactersDuchess:Thelatewifeoftheduke.Thedukesaystheduchessenjoyedthecompanyofothermenandimpliesthatshewasunfaithful.Infact,sheisapureandkind-heartedwoman.Theduchessdiedundersuspiciouscircumstancesjusttwoyearsafterhemarriedher.EmissaryoftheCountofTyrol:Theemissaryhasnospeakingrole;hesimplylistensastheDukeofFerraratellshimaboutthelateDuchessofFerraraandthefrescoofheronthewall.CountofTyrol:Thefatheroftheduke'sbride-to-be.Thedukementionshiminconnectionwithadowrythecountisexpectedtoprovide.