My Last Duchess Flashcards
Who wrote My Last Duchess?
Robert Browning
When was My Last Duchess written?
1842
Robert Browning was a ________ poet
Victorian
In My Last Duchess what did Browning challenge?
Inequality between men and women in a society dominated by men, many of whom treated women like objects and gave them few rights. When a woman married, she became the legal property of her husband, they were not allowed to vote and it was believed that women were incapable of thinking for themselves.
What did Browning loosely base his poem on?
16th Century DUke of Ferrara, whose wife mysteriously died only three years after they had married.
What is a Duke?
A Duke is a man who has a very high rank in society, who has a lot of money and power.
How did Browning use the character of the Duke?
to explore the way some men misused their power
What are the 3 main ideas in My Last Duchess?
Power corrupts people, Power fuels arrogance, Power lasts forever
What are the 3 main quotes in My Last Duchess?
I choose never to stoop, my gift of a nine hundred years old name, I gave commands then all smiles stopped
What is the method used by Browning in the quotation, ‘I choose never to stoop’?
the intended focus on the personal pronoun
What does the focus on the personal pronoun emphasise?
Emphasises how arrogant and stubborn the duke is
What is the method used in ‘my gift of a nine hundred years old name’?
Once more, a focus on the personal pronoun, this time possessive.
What does the focus on the possessive personal pronoun show?
shows his self-obsession and arrogance
What is the method used in ‘I gave commands then all smiles stopped’?
Use of a personal pronoun
What does the use of a personal pronoun demonstrate?
demonstrates his authority, yet he was unwilling to kill her himself
What structure is used in My Last Duchess?
a loose structure
Why had Browning used a loose structure in My Last Duchess?
to mirror the Duke’s unchecked power
What word can be used to describe the Duke’s power?
sempiternal
What does the word sempiternal mean?
eternal and unchanging; everlasting
