My last duchess Flashcards
What is the poem about
My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue where the Duke of Ferrara, a historical figure from Renaissance Italy, shows a portrait of his late wife to a visitor, an envoy of another powerful family. Through the Duke’s speech, he reveals his dissatisfaction with his previous wife’s behavior and hints at her death, potentially at his own hand, due to her perceived lack of deference to his status and her appreciation for things other than his gifts.
What does the possessive pronoun my show
The duke views the duchess as his property and not a person.
Why are there brackets around line 10 and a bit of 9
The duke is controlling and domineering. He likes asserting his power over others.
From line 27 what is there listing of
This that make the duchess happy . She gains happiness from simple things she’s not materialistic in contrast to the duke’s expensive gifts.
What does the caesura after as if alive on line 48 show
The duke is trying to move the conversation onto something else before he receives any uncomfortable questions on how she died. Increase ps readers suspicions that he was involved in her death.
