My last duchess

    Cards (15)

    • The speaker ( Duke of Ferrara) directs the attention of a guest to a painting of his former wife.
    • Dramatic monologue written by Victorian poet Robert Browning in 1842. In the poem, the Duke uses a painting of his former wife as a conversation piece. He speaks about his former wife's perceived inadequacies to a representative of the family of his bride-to-be, revealing his obsession with controlling others in the process. Browning uses this compelling psychological portrait of a despicable character to critique the objectification of women and abuses power
    • 'that's my last duchess painted on the wall'
      'my' immediately conveys the possessive and controlling nature of Duke Ferrera
    • 'worked busily a day, and there she stands'
      the Duke suggests he values the painting, not because of its depiction by his wife but due to the man that painted (Fra Pandolf) it and its value as a result.
    • 'since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you but I'
      very significant, perhaps sinister aspect. Curtain explains that during her lifetime, he couldn't control who she interacted with. Now, he can control her by covering portrait with a curtain. This controlling behaviour is sinister and makes us wonder if he was involved in her death.
    • 'twas not her husband's presence only called that spot of joy into the Duchess' cheek'
      Insinuates that other men flirted and aroused the Duchess, 'blushing' associated with flirting and shyness. Proves the Duke's envious perception of her.
    • "A heart-how shall I say? too soon made glad"
      rhetorical question significant as its an example of euphemistic language which is an attempt by the Duke to hide his controlling nature and disdain toward her and convey indecision about him which lessens the emotion in the words and in result, in his speech.
    • 'Fra Pandolf chanced to say, paint must never hope to reproduce the faint half-flush that dies along her throat'
      the Duke portraying her as overly sexualised. Metaphor for Duchess being sexually aroused too quickly. Browning's use of the word 'die' quickly darkens the tone and foreshadows what happened to her.
    • 'too easily impressed; she liked whate'er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere'
      Duke's attempt to convey her unfaithfulness as a justification to him for how and why he got rid of her. Also portrays how her natural independence and inquisitiveness juxtaposes his ideal perception of a wife.
    • ' the dropping of the daylight in the west'
      imagery of the sunset and can be seen as a pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing of her life coming to an end.
    • 'somehow- I know not how- as if she ranked..'
      The caesura of the dashes creates a pause in the speech of the Duke. These pauses are an attempt to shield the extent of his anger at the Duchess as, by pausing, it makes it seem less like a continuous flow of anger and more of a calm appraisal of her weakness.
    • '...my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame'
      Duchess should be grateful and in debt for a high-class standing name. He is again frustrated by how she doesn't rank what he views to be the ultimate gift above everything else. Status and respect are very important qualities for the Duke. Views himself above the Duchess; hence there is a power imbalance in their marriage which mirrors the patriarchy at the time
    • 'and I choose never to stoop. Oh,sir, she smiled, no doubt'
      The Duke chooses to never stoop-doesn't see how he can have a conversation with his wife in any way. Illustrates the Duke deciding that verbal intervention would be futile, hence, more drastic measures are required to deal with her.
    • 'I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together. There she stands.'
      sinister and poignant. He gave commands portrays his power over people but also his cowardice as he hid behind actions of those he instructed to follow them. All smiles stopping suggests a brutal imagine- end of her life but also the end of her happiness. The sibilance is desgined to convey his wickedness.
    • 'Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed at starting, is my object. Nay we'll go'
      The Duke clearly states that upon marrying his new wife. She'll become an 'object' in his possession. Duke hasn't changed. Perhaps he views it that he's learned from the consequences of being too lenient with the 'last duchess'.
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