Question: The Duke eliminated (divorced? sent to a convent? had executed or poisoned?) his last duchess because (he felt) she undervalued him and treated him as much as she treated other men. Which trivial incidents in particular seem to have produced this response in the Duke?

                Answer: Trivial incidents that may have produced this response in the Duke in particular are that he says she was “Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er.” This is saying that she was impressed by whatever any man gave her or did for her, instead of just what her husband did for her. Also, the Duke says that “She thanked men…as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody’s gift.” This is saying that she appreciates all gifts, instead of always wanting the best from only her husband. From my perspective, the Duke is expecting her to be snotty and high-maintenance instead of grateful for everything, no matter what quality. From the Duke’s perspective, though, he thinks that she doesn’t see his effort in trying to give her only the best and, although she greatly appreciates his gifts, she also appreciates everyone else’s. To the Duke, since his gifts that he gives her are of higher quality, she should show more thanks to him than to other men. He takes this as a sign of un-appreciation and equality to everyone else. In his perfect world though, the way that he wants her to show complete appreciation to him is by not accepting or being thankful of other gifts and, instead, only accepting the ones from him that are of higher quality.

-AJ Frankson