my last duchess essay (london) Flashcards
quotes that go well together in an essay/ are best analysised
WHERE: / HOW:
‘____ puts by the _______ I have _____ for you’
‘none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you’
he controls who looks at the painting, but he couldn’t control who looked at his wife when she was alive
metaphorical- he drew the curtains on her life when he wanted to. he has absolute power
WHAT:
what can the duke be described as
paranoid, jealous, cruel, arrogant
what should you compare with my last duchess
London
how do london and MLD pair well together
Both ‘My Last Duchess’ and ‘London’ present power as something that is very dangerous because of the potential for abuse—whether that be by an entire class of people with little or no care for those ‘beneath’ them, or by one corrupt individual whose position in life renders him free from consequence.
WHERE: / HOW:
‘too ____ made ____, too easily ___________’
‘too soon made glad, too easily Impressed’
the duke is annoyed and frustrated that his wife wasn’t devoted to him 24/7. his jealousy and paranoia sent him into a spiral of insecurity resulting in him exadurating scenarios where she was just being cheery and friendly
WHERE: /HOW:
‘her _____ went ___________’
‘her looks went everywhere’
the duke thinks that she was promiscuous and that she flirted a lot
WHY: what is the main message of MLD?
It depicts the harsh reality of a controlling marriage and a dominating husband who enjoys tyrannical power.
why is MLD ironic?
A major dramatic irony in “My Last Duchess” is that the Duke does not appear to realize how much of himself he is revealing to the reader.
WHY:
who is MLD based on
is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara, Italy in the latter half of the 16th century.
WHY:
when is the poem set
set in 1564
