In "Medusa" and "My Last Duchess" their central characters have some notable similarities that represent a common theme. In each of the poems, both Medusa and the Duke of Ferrara represent the danger of power as both are driven by jealousy to use their power to corrupt. The poets use strong language, clear structure, and harsh sounds to present the strength and power of both characters. Carol Ann Duffy shows how Medusa's jealousy transformed her into a powerful monster through the quote, "made the hairs on my head spin" dirty snakes." Medusa's transformation into a monster becomes a metaphor for the power of jealousy to corrupt. The theme of jealousy is represented in the rule of three in the first line: "a suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy". The rule of three evokes a growing tension and the fact that the word "jealousy" is placed at the end of the line suggests that it is the strongest emotion he is feeling. She says that later it was "as if" her thoughts were "hissing and spitting on her scalp." .The reader can infer that his thoughts sound like the hissing of a snake which gives the impression that they are angry and dangerous. Furthermore, the fact that the snakes actually came out of his head suggests that there were evil thoughts of jealousy coming out of his head. The assonance between 'hissed' and the onomatopoeia of 'spat' emphasizes the powerful and threatening tone of the poem. The structure is regular: six lines per verse and each perfectly interrupted but the length of the line is jagged like the atmosphere. The rhymes, when they arrive, are out of step, as in verse three where "own" rhymes with "stone" and in verse four where "ground" only half-rhymes with "down" - echoing the colloquial phrase "ground down" which it shows how emotionally exhausted she is. I co...... middle of paper ...... those who possess a disobedient temperament and imagine women, like his late wife, as rarely tamed seahorses, the Duke leaves no doubt about his severe expectations regarding to obedience and submission in his future duchess. Also, unlike Medusa, there are no verses in "My Last Duchess". This conveys an urgent and continuous rhythm as the poem moves incessantly suggesting that the Duke will not be stopped. Overall both poems use their imagery, sound, and structure to show how powerful the two main characters are and how they use this power. In both "My Last Duchess" and "Medusa" the characters are very strong and are driven by jealousy to use their power to corrupt. The Duke feels betrayed when his wife smiles at the others while Medusa feels betrayed by her love. This shows that although they are strong characters, they both have an underlying feeling of betrayal.