My Last Duchess Flashcards
“I gave commands and the smiles stopped altogether.”
Duke says that he … this could be seen as the Duke giving prders to kill his wife,displaying his arrogance again as he thinks that her life isn’t worth living.
“The bough of cherries some officious fool,broke in the orchard for her,the white mule,”
Rhyming couplets is used throughout the poem.
It can link to the Duke’s character almost making light out of a serious and tragic incident.
“Notice Neptune,though,taming a sea-horse,through a rarity,which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!”
Even after talking to the envoy about how he got his wife killed he goes on and talks about his statue of Neptune.
Shows his arrogance as he acts like what he did was fine,just because he has power.
“My gift of a nine-hundred year old name with anybody’s gift.”
Quote shows how arrogant the Duke really is and hates how the Duchess doesn’t consider his family name important as he does.
“Anybody’s” implies his arrogant attitude towards his own self-importance.
“Too easily impressed,”
Quote shows that the Duke thought she was flattered,with ease,again,showing his arrogance as only wants her to be flattered by him.
“She had a heart - how shall I say this? - too soon to make glad,”
Shows that the Duke had expectstions for the Duchess but she didn’t meet them.
Dashes show the Duke’s relaxed attitude to his views on her.
” And I choose never to stoop.”
Shows disgust at his wife’s actions.
Doesn’t tell her to stop her to explain the truth as he doesn’t put her on the same level as himself.
