In society, `easily pleased' people are mainly considered to be women. Robert Browning emphasizes that point in his poem My Last Duchess when he states "She had A heart...how shall I say"...too soon made glad," (Browning 21). Female critics could definitely view this as a male dominance message when the male author, Robert Browning proves his power over the lady by killing her. Therefore, the Italian Duke in Browning's poem feels that his wife was a possession, she should never stoop down to lower levels and now feels like he has total control over her painting.

The Duke saw his wife as a possession, someone he wants total control from and by the end of the poem, his guests understand that the Duke wants an "object" (53) for his next wife, something he can truly control. The Duke thought his wife for him and for his pleasure only...