My Last Duchess

    Cards (14)

    • 'That piece a wonder'
      Suggestive of beauty
      Potentially wondering we he wasn't enough
      Wondering why she was how she was
    • 'At starting is my object'
      Idea of possession and objectification
    • 'Looking as if she were alive'
      Confirmation of her death
      She is still always looking
    • 'twas not her husband's presence only'
      Not only her husband that prompted passion
      Promiscuity
    • 'my gift of a nine hundred year old name'
      'who'd stoop to blame this sort of trifling?'

      Quote 1 shows that he is egotistical and believes that his status should've made her satisfied with him
      Quote 2 shows him questioning her behaviour
      Link together to show that he can't believe she would do this and that he doesn't know why she would
    • 'You disgusts me'

      She repulses him due to her actions
      He can't stand her
    • 'Depth and passion of its earnest glance'

      Describes her look in the painting
      Reaction caused by painter
      Proves her promiscuity
    • 'Will't please you sit and look at her?'

      Granted permission to look
      He has complete control as he has always wanted
    • 'I gave commands and all smiles stopped together'
      He controls the situation
      Obligation to kill
      Potential abuse of his power as duke?
    • 'bough of cherries some officious fool broke in the orchard for her'

      Lost virginity in orchard
      Proving impurity
      'fool' has negative connotations and is seen throughout the whole poem
    • 'white mule'
      Becomes oxymoronic as 'white' is heavily symbolic with purity and a 'mule' is deemed impure due to it being a crossbreed between a horse and a donkey making it literally impure
    • 'such stuff was courtesy she thought'
      She supposedly believed she was just being normal and kind
      Provoked a jealous reaction in the Duke
    • 'She looked on and her looks went everywhere'
      Not fussy
      Keen eye for so called window shopping
      Potential for her to cheat making the Duke jealous
    • 'I choose not to steep'
      Doesn't want to be anywhere near her level and remain loyal to her however he gets her killed
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