A dramatic monologue typically has a couple of key features. First, it is in poetry format. If it were not, then it would be a theatrical monologue. "My Last Duchess" has that characteristic.
Second, the poem/speech is one person's speech. It is not a conversation. The speaker is also an assumed character. It is not simply the internal thoughts of the poet. A characteris speaking. In "My Last Duchess" the speaking character is...
A dramatic monologue typically has a couple of key features. First, it is in poetry format. If it were not, then it would be a theatrical monologue. "My Last Duchess" has that characteristic.
Second, the poem/speech is one person's speech. It is not a conversation. The speaker is also an assumed character. It is not simply the internal thoughts of the poet. A character is speaking. In "My Last Duchess" the speaking character is the Duke.
I think the reason that Browning chose this format is that the format leaves much of the character interpretation up to the audience. In a normal third person narration, the narrator can tell audience members that a character is "this" or "that" type of character. The narrator can tell the audience what personality traits somebody has. But by creating a dramatic monologue, Browning has shown readers exactly what the Duke is like. We get a much better feel for the character, because the poem is spoken through that character.
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