2.4.4 My Last Duchess

Question 1

Poet

Answer 1

Robert Browning

Question 2

Theme Code

Answer 2

U-JAK-OF

Question 3

Themes

Answer 3

Power of Art, Negative Emotion of Pride, Power of Man, Identity, Misguided Notions of Human Power, Memory

Question 4

Quotes

Answer 4

• ‘Frá Pandolf’
• ‘if they durst’
• ‘Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er’
• ‘My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name’
• ‘With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame’
• ‘Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity’

Question 5

Main Structural Points

Answer 5

• Dramatic Monologue Form
• Iambic Pentameter
• Rhyming Couplets
• Enjambment

Question 6

Explain the quote ‘My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name’

Answer 6

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Shows he holds power and status in society, yet again boasting about this and insinuating his wife, the duchess should be grateful and proud she had the honour of having his last name and also it is a reflection of how women are owned by their husbands, like how the duchess is owned by the duke as she had taken his name and loses all legal rights.

Question 7

Explain the quote ‘Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity’

Answer 7

Metaphor
The metaphor of Neptune suggests he thinks of himself as god-like. Men are the gods that just tame their wives, which shows the excessive hubris and pride of the duke. It shows the Duke is very materialistic as he condemns her finding natural beauty but places a lot of value on statues. He clearly sees his wealth and status should be seen as more valuable than anything available to the common man. Enjambment is used to show the duke hasn’t got control, he cannot stop his blurting his emotions

Question 8

Quotes for the Main Structural Point

Answer 8

• ‘That’s my last duchess on the wall.
  Looking as if she was alive. I call
  That piece a wonder’

Question 9

Simplified Main Structural Point

Answer 9

Tight control of metre and couplets like control of Duke. Dramatic monologue shows his power, he controls the situation. Enjambment shows he hasn’t got complete control and he is blurting out emotions

Question 10

Main Structural Point

Answer 10

Browning uses several structural techniques to present the Duke’s power. ‘My Last Duchess’ is written as a dramatic monologue to present the Duke as powerful and he is the only one we hear from, we are the silent listener while the Duke dominates the proceedings and controls the situation. The poem is also written in iambic pentameter and the rhyme scheme is austerely controlled with the whole poem being written in rhyming couplets, the tight control of the poem’s metre and rhyme scheme reflects the tight control of the Duke. But the poem also contains enjambment, when the poem would have been read out loud, it would have been difficult to find the rhyme scheme as although the end of each line rhymes, the sentences run over the lines for example seen at the start of the poem:
‘That’s my last duchess on the wall.
Looking as if she was alive. I call
That piece a wonder’
The reason why Browning would have done this is that not only this is a dramatic monologue, it has to sound realistic, a real speech. It would sound mechanical and unbelievable if each of the Duke’s sentences’ last words rhymed with the next. The enjambment also reflects the Duke does not have complete control, he himself is quite uncontrolled and wild in his anger. Although he tries to control others seen by the controlled rhyming couplets and use of iambic pentameter, the fact is he cannot control himself seen by the enjambment he cannot stop his blurting out of his emotions, this is reinforced by the fact the poem is one long verse. This suggests the Duke does not stop and does not think about what he is saying with no care or respect for his listener.