My Last Duchess

• What is My Last Duchess about?

  • an Italian Duke who **murdered** his first wife & is now preparing for his second marriage
  • tells this story of his first marriage to a visitor, whilst looking at a portrait of his first wife
  • it is a **subtle** poem that **condemns the stranglehold** that those in power have on those below them
• What is the **contextual** significance of the Industrial Revolution?

  • Poem was written around the time of **Industrial Revolution** after which people say more class mobility & freedom leading to more poets such as Browning **voicing progressive attitudes within their poems**
• What is the **contextual** significance of the patriarchy?

  • Society was still **highly unequal**, as it was still patriarchal (male-dominated) leading Browning to **shield his criticism** via time & setting
  • Therefore the views offered by Browning are a more **subtle criticism of society as opposed to an outright accusation**
• What quote reflects the Duke's **abuse of power**?

  "I gave commands"
• How does "I gave commands" reflect the Duke's abuse of power through **his wife's murder**?

  • The Duke's insecure & paranoid nature eventually culminates in him commiting **uxoricide (wife murder)**
  • Duke's **emphemistic language** in the quote demonstrates not only the Duke's abuse of power but his cowardice, as he **lacks the courage to go & do the heinous deed himself**
• How does "I gave commands" reflect the Duke's abuse of power through **oppression**?

  • The quote reflects Browning possibly commenting on how the powers that be control the masses by proxy, using **devious means to oppress the common person**
• What quote reflects the Duke through the **symbolism of artwork**?


  "Taming his wife"
• How does "Taming his wife" reflect the symbolism of artwork through **arrogance**?

  • Statue of Neptune taming a sea horse -> metaphor for "Taming his wife", also connotes the Duke's **absolute control over his wife**, alluding similarly to the manipulative nature of Neptune
  • Comparison of himself to Neptune -> Arrogance as he sees himself as a mighty God
  • taming of the sea horse -> how arrogantly the Duke viewed the controlling of his wife
  • Thus, the use of artwork throughout the poem shows glimpse into the Duke's true personality **beyond his deceitful monologue**
• What are the two pieces of form used in the poem?

  • Dramatic monologue
  • Rhyme scheme
• Why is the poem structured as a dramatic monologue **with no stanzas**?

  • It shows how the Duke exercises absolute power over his wife with **no room for deviation or freedom of expression**
  • This set-up also shows the domineering personality of the Duke: he chooses to soliloquise on his own thoughts only, neglecting those around them as an oppurtunity to speak
  • This means that the reader immediately recognises it as a **biased account** and is made aware of the need to **infer** to ascertain what really happened
• What type is rhyme scheme is the poem and why?

  • **Regular ABAB rhyme scheme** present throughout the poem, with **no deviation**
  • Serves to show how the Duke controlled the Duchess' life with **startling regularity**, allowing her no freedom to break free
  • The fact that the ABAB rhyme scheme continues throughout the poem without ever stopping may also reflect how not only did the Duke stifle & control the Duchess whilst she was alive, **he continues to do so after her death**
• What type of structure is presented in the poem?

  • Enjambment
  • Caesura
• What is the structural significance of using emjambment & caesura?

  • The combination of the two leads to a conversational tone, with the Emjambment providing a natural tone whereas the Caesura make the **monologue feel disjointed & painful to listen to**
  • They combine to give the overall effect that he is rambling, making the Duke seem **unimpressive** and perhaps therefore showing how the Duke covers up for his own insecurity by maniacally controlling those around him
  • The combination of the two also hide the ABAB rhyme scheme, perhaps to show the **Duke's deceit & untrustworthiness**