My Last Duchess Flashcards
Who was my last duchess written by and when
Robert browning in 1842
Summary of my last duchess poem
The poem is about an Itallian Duke, who has supposedly killed his first wife and is now planning another wedding to another woman. . He displays a painting done of his dead wife and reveals it to a visitor, who is made to sit and admire it.
Context of my last duchess
-ferrera = where the poem was set but also a duke who’s wife died under suspicious circumstances and he was thought to have poisoned her
-browning is criticising society because of the cyclic way history finds itself being repeated
-industrial revolution where society is become more equal between gender as a result of suffrage movement
Form and structure of my last duchess
-dramatic monologue shows the domineering presence of the duke, won’t let anyoneelse talk
-no female side to the story this mirrors how females had no say in Victorian society either
-iambic pentameter which demonstrates dukes sense of pride and superiority because the meter has a very tight control
-single stanza which shows the dukes presence is overwhelming as he dominates the room
Key quotes of my last duchess
‘That’s my last duchess’
‘Bough of cherries some officious fool’
‘Who’d stoop to blame ‘
‘Then all smiles stopped together’
‘Notice Neptune though taming a sea horse’
Analyse quote ‘bough some cherries some officious fool’
-his wealth and status is most important
-shows his materialism doesn’t value natural beauty and natural pleasures of the earth
-insecure as he sees her liking other things than him
-hurts his pride
-reliant on controlling women to make himself feel powerful
Analyse quote ‘who’d stoop to blame ‘
-he won’t lower himself to talk to his wife and confront her of what he fears
-shows him as paranoid and weak
-he thinks there’s no point arguing with her as she is of far below him and incapable of rational thinking
Analyse quote ‘then all smiles stopped together’
-Euphemism for her murder
-shows the power he has
-he’s able to kill without consequences
-murder is a sign of lack of control
Analyse quote ‘Notice Neptune though taming a sea horse’
-suggest he sees himself as god like who must tame their wives
-this shows excessive hubris and pride of him
-he believes his status and wealth should be seen as more valuable than anything available to common man
