My Last Duchess

Question 1

“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.”

Answer 1

• Possessive Tone: The pronoun “my” reflects the Duke’s possessiveness and objectification of the Duchess, reducing her identity to a piece of art he owns.
• Juxtaposition: The phrase “looking as if she were alive” contrasts life and death, implying the Duchess is more pleasing to him as a controlled, silent painting than as a living, autonomous person.
• Dramatic Irony: The audience begins to sense the Duke’s involvement in her death through his casual tone, which contrasts the sinister undertones.
• Theme of Power: The Duke’s control over the Duchess in death, symbolized by the painting, underscores his obsession with dominance and control.
• Symbolism: The painting represents the Duke’s desire to immortalize and control his wife’s image, preventing her from acting freely.

Question 2

“She had / A heart-how shall I say?-too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed.”

Answer 2

• Criticism of Joy: The Duke’s disdain for the Duchess’s warmth and kindness reveals his arrogance and inability to appreciate human connection. Her generosity and joy are seen as faults.
• Tone of Condescension: The phrase “how shall I say?” conveys false modesty, masking his cruel judgment. It reflects his manipulative nature.
• Irony: The qualities the Duke criticizes-openness and joy-are virtues, yet he interprets them as flaws because they diminish his sense of superiority.
• Theme of Jealousy: The Duke’s jealousy is evident; he resents her appreciation of others, perceiving it as a slight against his own status.
• Enjambment: The flowing lines mimic the Duke’s self-righteous stream of thought, reinforcing his control over the narrative.

Question 3

“She thanked men-good! but thanked / Somehow—I know not how
-as if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift.”

Answer 3

• Arrogance and Entitlement: The Duke’s pride in his “nine-hundred-years-old name” underscores his obsession with lineage and status. He believes his name is a gift far superior to any other.
• Tone of Outrage: His frustration at her inability to prioritize his “gift” over others highlights his need for dominance and exclusive admiration.
• Theme of Power and Class: The Duke’s fixation on his title reflects the rigid class structures of the time, where women were expected to honor their husbands’ social standing above all else.
• Irony: The Duke’s gift of his name is intangible, contrasting with the kindness and gestures of others that the Duchess appreciated.
• Possessive Language: The phrase “as if she ranked” shows how the Duke views relationships as hierarchical, with himself at the top.

Question 4

“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.”

Answer 4

• Euphemism: The Duke’s vague reference to “commands” is chilling, implying that he orchestrated the Duchess’s death without directly admitting it. This ambiguity heightens the sinister tone.
• Power and Control: The abrupt finality of “all smiles stopped together” reflects the Duke’s absolute control over the Duchess’s fate. Her life is extinguished to preserve his ego.
• Dramatic Monologue: The Duke’s casual delivery of this line emphasizes his lack of remorse, revealing his sociopathic tendencies.
• Theme of Patriarchy: The Duke’s “commands” reinforce the extreme patriarchal dominance of Renaissance society, where women were seen as property.
• Contrast: The lightness of “smiles” is juxtaposed with the deadly weight of
“stopped,” emphasizing the Duke’s cruelty.

Question 5

“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, I Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!”

Answer 5

• Symbolism: The statue of Neptune “taming” a sea-horse mirrors the Duke’s desire to dominate and control his Duchess, reducing her to an obedient, decorative figure.
• Shift in Focus: The Duke abruptly changes the subject, suggesting his lack of emotional depth and refusal to reflect on his actions. His priorities lie in possessions, not human connections.
• Arrogance: By referencing “Claus of Innsbruck,” a renowned artist, the Duke flaunts his wealth and status, underscoring his materialism and vanity.
• Juxtaposition: The violent act of “taming” contrasts with the delicacy of a sea-horse, symbolizing the Duke’s oppressive control over something inherently gentle.
• Final Impression: The poem ends with the Duke emphasizing art and control, reinforcing his character as cold, self-absorbed, and tyrannical.

Question 6

Form

Answer 6

1. Dramatic Monologue:
   • The poem is a dramatic monologue, a form where the speaker addresses a silent listener. This allows the Duke’s character to be revealed indirectly through his words and tone.
   • The single perspective of the Duke gives the reader insight into his arrogance, manipulation, and cruelty, but it also leaves room for dramatic irony, as he unwittingly exposes his flaws.
2. lambic Pentameter:
   • The poem is written in iambic pentameter, giving it a rhythmic and formal quality that reflects the Duke’s aristocratic demeanor. However, the natural flow of the meter contrasts with his sinister revelations, adding tension.
3. Rhyming Couplets:
   • The use of rhyming couplets (heroic couplets) mirrors the Duke’s need for control and order. The neat rhyme scheme reflects his attempt to present himself as refined and authoritative, masking his darker nature.

Question 7

Structure

Answer 7

1. Single Stanza:
   • The poem is written in a single, uninterrupted stanza, mirroring the Duke’s relentless control over the conversation and reflecting his dominant personality.
   • This structure also symbolizes how the Duke is unwilling to be interrupted or challenged, maintaining complete control over the narrative.
2. Enjambment:
   • The frequent use of enjambment creates a conversational tone, mimicking natural speech. It reflects the Duke’s egotistical stream of consciousness, as he reveals more than he intends about his character.
   • Enjambment contrasts with the rhyming couplets, highlighting the tension between his outward appearance of refinement and his underlying arrogance and cruelty.
3. Shift in Focus:
   • The Duke moves seamlessly from discussing the Duchess to his artworks, such as the Neptune statue, reflecting his materialism and lack of emotional depth.
   This shift also underscores how he views people, especially women, as possessions.

Question 8

Context

Answer 8

2. Renaissance Italy:
   • The poem is set in Renaissance Italy, a time associated with aristocratic pride, patronage of the arts, and rigid social hierarchies. The Duke embodies these qualities but also represents their extreme, toxic forms: arrogance, entitlement, and patriarchal dominance.
3. Gender and Power:
   • The poem critiques the power imbalance in relationships during both the Renaissance and Victorian periods. Women were often treated as property, and the Duke’s possessiveness and control over the Duchess symbolize this systemic oppression.
   • The Duke’s casual reference to the Duchess’s death highlights how women’s autonomy was stifled by patriarchal norms and male egos.
4. Themes of Art and Control:
   • The Duke’s obsession with art reflects his desire to control and immortalize perfection. By reducing his Duchess to a painting, he ensures she cannot defy him, symbolizing his oppressive need for dominance.
   • Art serves as a metaphor for power: just as the Duke curates his collection, he seeks to control every aspect of his world, including people.

Question 9

Themes

Answer 9

Power
Gender roles
Insecurity/jealousy
Relationships
Memory