My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

1. Spend some time researching aspects of Italian Renaissance society e.g. who
the most powerful art patrons were, corruption in the law and Church, popular
types of art, famous families such as the Borgias and the Medicis.
Art patrons = wealthy people who sponsor artists
- Ludovico Sforza (Leonardo da Vinci)
- Medici Family (Michelangelo)

Type of art
- Sculptures
- Painting
- Decorative arts

The Borgia
- Suspected of many crimes (adultery, incest, simony, theft, bribery, and murder)
- Italo-Spanish noble family
- Rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance
- Enemies with the Medicis

The Medicis
- Italian banking family
- The Medici Bank was one of the most prosperous and most respected institutions in
Europe

2. Look at the title of the poem. What can you find out from the three words
chosen by Browning?
My connotes belonging, ownership and property, which also shows us
that the poem is told from a 1st persons perspective. Last suggests
previous or before, basically something that is gone or finished. The
audience already get the idea that the duchess is someones belonging in
the title.

3. Look at the rhyme scheme and discuss the reasons for Brownings choice.
The poem is written in rhyming couplets. An example will be wall and call in
the first two lines. Rhyming couplets make the poem more organised, which
reflects the personality of the duke, organised and strict. It also reflects that he is a
control freak, as he wants his wife to follow his set of rules.

4. What do Brownings choice of narrative perspective and use of the dramatic

monologue show?
The audience is viewing the story from the perspective of the servant, yet only
the duke can be seen talking throughout the poem. The use of monologue
suggests that the duke is an aggressive person, who does not give the servant a
chance to present his opinion towards the dukes businesses. It also connotes that
he is self-obsessed.

5. The content of the poem begins with a description of the painting. It is painted
on the wall. What do these words imply about the time the poem is set in?
The poem must be set a long time ago, as artists no longer paint on walls
anymore, they paint on canvases.

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My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
Note: Artists typically carried out numerous detailed sketches of their subjects in
preparation for painting. These sketches were called cartoons. Once completed, the
wall on which the painting was to be displayed was plastered. The cartoon was outlined
on to the wet plaster and the painting was completed in one day, causing the paint to be
absorbed by the plaster. The two compounds would dry within a day, with the painting
becoming part of the wall. It is therefore the drawing, rather than the painting which
takes most time.

6. The second line explains the Duchess is dead. Discuss how she was
entrapped in the plaster.
She was entrapped in the plaster because of the artist, Fr Pandolf.

7. Time is referred to in line 4: Fra Pandolfs hands/Worked busily a day which

reinforces the speed with which the artist had to work, but undermines the
Dukes claims to jealousy. Find examples of the things that have raised the
Dukes jealousy.
Line 13-14 Sir, t was not her husbands presence. His duchess looks shy in
the painting, thus the duke suspects that the painter must have been flirting
with her.
Line 22-24 Too soon made glad, too easily impressed; she liked whateer she
looked on, and her looks went everywhere The duke does not want her wife to
be nice to everyone.

8. Enumerate all the gifts given to the Duchess, and say who gave these gifts.
a nine-hundred-years-old name and a white mule were given by the duke ,
whereas cherries were given to her by some other man.

9. These gifts give an insight into the character of the Duchess. How do people
feel about her, and how does she respond to their gifts?
People might think that she is a sweet, nice, pretty and popular person, which is why
they kept giving her gifts. All and each would draw from her alike the approving
speech or blush suggests that her responses towards these gifts are all the same
(She will always say something in return or simply smile)

10. At line 32, the Duke refers to his gift to his wife. What is his complaint
regarding the way she accepted it?
He does not like the way she treats every gift with the same attitude. He thinks
that she should pay more attention to the dukes gift, as it opened a lot of
doors for her.

11. Analyse the Dukes complaints about his wife, and work out whether they are
well-founded.
No, because this is a monologue, meaning that we only have the dukes opinions
which might be biased. In order to determine whether the complaints are well-
founded we should listen to more peoples perspectives towards the same issue.

12. What can be inferred about the way he spoke to his wife? Look at words such
as trifling, disgusts, such a one.
Trifling and such a one are referring to things that are unimportant. Since he is
using this kind of words to describe his wife, it connotes that his wife might not be
that important to him at all.
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My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
13. Find other examples where the Dukes tone of voice is apparent. How does
Browning vary the tone of voice to suit the Dukes purpose and mood? Where
do these variations occur?
Line 3 I call that piece of wonder - sounds as if he were impressed of his wifes
aesthetics. Irony is created because he is the one who killed her.

Line 13-14 Sir, t was not her husbands presence only - The duke is jealous,he is
trying to persuade the audience that

Line 36 Which i have not - Tone is very casual, symbolise that his wife does not
have a huge stand in his heart

14. As his mood changes, the Duke seeks to entrap his wife, by blaming her and
seeking to modify her behaviour. Identify where and how he does this.
Line 44-46 She looked on, and her looks went everywhere - He is blaming her wife
for flirting with other man.

Line 32-34 as if she ranked my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with

anybodys gift - Again, he blames her for not treasuring the position she gained by
marrying him.

Line 22-24 But who passed without much the same smile? This grew; I gave
commands; Then all smiles stopped together - He does not like that fact that she
smiles to everyone she sees. Such bad habit grew and he killed her.

15. Lines 467 show the effect of the Dukes words had on the behaviour of his
wife, and are immediately followed by the statement, There she stands as if
alive. Examine the tone of voice in which these words are spoken, and
comment on what they show about the Dukes feelings towards his last
Duchess.
As if alive suggests that his wife is dead. A sense of relief could be sensed from this
statement. The duke might be relieved because he can finally keep his wife all to
himself and no-one will be able to flirt with her anymore.

16. How does the Duke talk about the next Duchess? Identify the aspects of his
next marriage which interest him, and any areas which he does not enquire
about. What do the omissions indicate about his feelings towards his future
wife?
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed suggests that he is only interested in the
money and status of his next wife, he does not like her as a person.

17. Use your research into Italian Renaissance life to find probable reasons to
explain how the Duke can get away with his behaviour towards his wife/wives,
and why he encounters no opposition from the Count or legal processes.
The Italian Renaissance is a period when status is highly valued. Since a duke is a
male holding the highest hereditary title, this means that the duke holds an even
higher status than the count, which explains why our narrator can get away with his
violent act easily without opposition from the count.

18. The use of the word dowry in line 51 is particularly revealing about the
attitude of the Duke and Italian society towards women. Find an accurate
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My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
definition of the word. Which societies use the dowry, and what does it
indicate about the status of women?
Dowry: an amount of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their
marriage. Women are properties of men, they do not have a stand in the Italian
society, men only treat them as a way to obtain huge wealth.

19. The Duke refers to his works of art by the names of the artists. What does this
reveal about his true attitude to marriage and art?
He only cares about the name (status), not the skills of the artists. This reveal that his
true intention and attitude to marriage and art is to gain a better status, fame and
wealth.

unreliable narrator
he is trying to tell us that his last duchess was not a good one
he is trying to persuade us
he has a motif for her death

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