My Last Duchess

• Where was Robert Browning born and where did he live?

  Born in England, lived in Italy
• What are the main themes in "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning?

  • Memory
  • Renaissance
  • Patriarchy
  • Pride
  • Jealousy
  • Power
• How does "My Last Duchess" compare to other works like "Ozymandias" and "War Photographer"?

  It shares themes of power and pride
• What does the Duke point out to the visitor in "My Last Duchess"?

  The picture of his former wife
• Why is the Duke angered by his wife's behavior?

  She was friendly towards everyone, not just him
• What action does the Duke imply he took regarding his wife's behavior?

  He hints at having murdered her
• What does the visitor come to arrange with the Duke?

  His next marriage
• What is the significance of the quote "My last duchess/looking as if she were alive"?

  • Highlights the Duke's obsession
  • Suggests he only admires her in death
  • Irony in his control over her even posthumously
• What does the repetition in "She looked on, and her looks went everywhere" signify?

  It reflects the Duke's jealousy even after her death
• How does the Duke misinterpret his wife's behavior?

  He sees her courtly behavior as disrespectful
• What does the phrase "As if she ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-year-old name with anybody" reveal about the Duke?

  It shows his arrogance and sense of entitlement
• What is the form and structure of "My Last Duchess"?

  • Dramatic monologue
  • Rigid iambic pentameter
  • Rhyming couplets for control
  • Enjambment reflects instability and obsession
• How does the Duke's use of enjambment affect the poem?

  It conveys his unstable emotions and obsession
• What does the line "This grew—I gave commands then all smiles stopped together" imply?

  It hints at the Duke's role in his wife's death
• What does the juxtaposition of the Duchess's happiness with the Duke's arrogance reveal?

  It highlights the impact of patriarchy on innocent individuals
• What metaphor is used in the line "Notice, Neptune, though, taming a sea-horse"?

  • Represents power and control
  • Neptune symbolizes bad temper
  • Irony in the Duke's desire for dominance
• How does the poem's circular narrative affect its interpretation?

  It suggests the Duke will repeat his controlling behavior with his next wife