My Last Duchess

• Who was the poet that made My Last Duchess?

  Robert Browning
• At what age did Browning write his first poem?

  12
• When did Browning first travel to Italy?

  In 1838 - he would live there for most of his adult life
• When did Browning die?

  1889 in Venice
• When was My Last Duchess published?

  1842
• What are some contextual themes that are relevant to My Last duchess?

  The Industrial revolution , Attitudes to women , Attitudes to religion
• What was life like for Women in the Victorian Era?

  When she married, she was her husband's property . Women could not vote or testify in court . It was believed women were incapable of rational thought . Many female writers published their books anonymously or under male pseudonyms to boost book sales and to be taken seriously
• Power is a recurring theme in My Last Duchess. Explain how?

  The Duke has political power demonstrated through the line "I gave commands" (The reader wonders who the commands were given to) and the Duke wants to have domestic power over his wife (Links to roles of women and inequality)
• What does the use of words like 'my suggest about the Duke?

  The Duke is possessive and self-obsessed. He sees his wife as an object that he owns
• Why does the Duke namedrop Fra Pandolf?

  To show of that he knows a famous person - he is vain
• The name Fra Pandolf suggests the artist was a monk. Why is this important?

  To make it clear that the artist was not flirting with the Duchess - this shows that the Duke is paranoid
• Why might the duke use terms like 'Sir' when speaking to the person he is speaking to ?

  They show the Duke's superiority over the envoy - this makes the Duke seem condescending
• The Duke says that he doesn't have skill in speech. However, he is able to deliver a long well structured argument to his visitor. What does this suggest?

  He is disingenuous and we cannot trust him
• What does the repetition of the pronoun 'I' suggest?

  The Duke is self obsessed
• How does the Duke appear controlling?

  He says 'Will't please you rise?' . These are demands from the Duke that have been phrased as questions . This shows the Duke's social superiority over the envoy
• Why does the Duke say ' Notice Neptune , though, Taming a sea-horse through a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!' ?

  This is metaphor for the Duke, describing what he thinks his role is over women
• Why might the Duke hide the painting of his Wife behind a curtain that only he can control?

  To control the smiles of his wife and have them for himself - which is what he wanted in life
• What is the form of My Last Duchess?

  A dramatic monologue - the poem contains a single person giving a speech to someone else - we can identify the speakers character from what they say
• What meter is My Last Duchess written in?

  Iambic pentameter
• The poem is written in rhyming couplets
• What does the tight control of the rhyme scheme in MLD reflect?

  The tight control of the Duke - he is an extremely controlling character
• Why might enjambment be used in MLD?

  To show that the Duke does not have complete control - he is wild and uncontrolled in his anger
• Why do the verses not change or stop in MLD?

  It reflects how the Duke does not stop - He doesn't stop to think about what he is saying, he doesn't care about his listener and just spouts out his thoughts . This overwhelms the reader and shows that the Duke is an overwhelming character
• Browning's poem can be read as a message that Victorian men are weakened by their dependency on the power that they have over women .
• Why do we never hear the wife's side of the story?

  The Duke has complete power over and has silenced her . This may be a reflection of women in Victorian times , who were often voiceless and silenced by men