My Last Duchess

Question 1

The poem

Answer 1

• Duke proudly shows portrait of the former duchess to a guest.
• Duke angered by Duchess’s behaviour. Friendly towards everyone, treated him the same as everyone.
• Acted to stop the Duchess’s flirtatious behaviour, doesn’t say how, strong suggestion of murder.
• Duck and guest walk away from the painting. Guest there to arrange the Duke’s next wedding.

Question 2

Form

Answer 2

• Dramatic monologue.
• Iambic pentameter.
• Rhyming couplets show Duke desires control.
• Enjambment suggests be gets carried away with anger and passions.
• Somewhat unstable character, obsession with power is unsettling.

Question 3

Structure

Answer 3

• Poem framed by a visit to the Duke’s gallery.
• Gets caught up in talking about the Duchess instead if talking about art.
• Builds towards a confession before the identity of the visitor is revealed. Goes onto talk about another artwork.

Question 4

Power and objectification

Answer 4

• Felt the need to have control and power over the Duchess.

- Saw her as a possession to be collected, admired, just like expensive artwork.

Question 5

Dramatic irony

Answer 5

• Says innocent things about the Duchess.
• Sinister meanings.
• Gap between what the Duke tells the listener and what the poet allows us to read between the lines.

Question 6

Status

Answer 6

• Important to the Duke.

- Cares about how others see him.

Question 7

Feelings and attitudes: pride

Answer 7

Duke is proud if possessions and status.

Question 8

Feelings and attitudes: jealousy

Answer 8

Couldn’t stay how the Duchess treated him the same as everyone else.

Question 9

Feelings and attitudes: power

Answer 9

Duke enjoys control he has over the painting. Didn’t have this much power over the Duchess when she was alive.