My Last Duchess SAQ
My Last Duchess – A Dramatic Monologue of the Soul
Subtitle – Ferrara
Source – Bells and Pomegranates No. III : Dramatic Lyrics [1842]
Robert Browning [1812-1889]
SAQ – 2 Marks
44 Important Questions
Unit – I
1. *What type of poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is?
👉Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue which is not a drama of the outer world, but of the inner world of the soul. The speaker, the Duke speaks in a critical moment of his life. This monologue is a superb study in soul dissection that helps to bring out the inner character of the Duke.
Related Questions
[I] What type of poem is ‘My Last Duchess’? Give reasons.
[II] How is the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ a monologue?
[III] What sort of poem Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ is? What do you find in this poem?
👉Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue in which the speaker has presented the Duke at a specific situation and critical moment of his life. The Duke speaks the entire story in such a manner that his possessive character has been fully unravelled or explored. The poem is a superb study in self-exploration or introspection.
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2. Why do you consider ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue?
👉A dramatic monologue is generally a poem delivered by an imaginary character to a silent audience.
In this poem the Duke speaks a lot but the words of other characters are not opened. So, it is called a dramatic monologue.
Related Questions
[I] What is dramatic monologue?
👉The dramatic monologue is a poem in which a single character addresses to someone who keeps silent all the time. It is essentially a study of character of mental states, of mental crises made from the insight. It is predominantly psychological, analytical, meditative and argumentative.
[II] Would you consider Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ a dramatic monologue? If so then give reasons.
👉The dramatic monologue is a poem in which a single character addresses to someone who keeps silent all the time. It is essentially a study of character of mental states, of mental crises made from the insight. It is predominantly psychological, analytical, meditative and argumentative.
The analysis of Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ reveals the fact that the Duke of Ferrara is the single character and his speech exposes his own character and own situation. The envoy of the count to whom it is addressed keeps silent all the time. So, the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue.
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3. *Sketch the character of the Duke as revealed in Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’.
👉Browning portrays the Duke of Ferrara as unscrupulous, self-dignified, selfish, tyrannical, shrewd, mercenary and arrogant in an empty manner. He is a lover of fine art as well as a typical noble man of the Italian Renaissance.
Related Questions
[I] What type of the character did the Duke in ‘My Last Duchess’ possess?
[II] How was the nature of the Duke in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[III] What type of man was the Duke of Ferrara as represented by Browning in ‘My Last Duchess’?
[IV] What do you know about Duke’s character after reading Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’?
👉Browning in his dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ presents the Duke in a very poor light indeed. He is egotistical and extremely selfish and possessive by temperament. Being narrow minded or snob himself, he strongly disapproves of his last Duchess’ gay, expansive and innocent nature. He is a lover of art and artefacts as well as a typical noble man of the Italian Renaissance.
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4. *“—————————-Sir, ’twas not /Her husband’s presence only, called that spot /Of joy into the Dutchess’ cheek :” What was the cause of ‘that spot of joy’?
👉The painter might have said to the Duchess that her clock was covering too great a part of her wrist suggesting thereby that her beauty was hidden, or he might have happened to say that he could never portray the rosy blush of her throat. Such trivial compliments is the cause of ‘that spot of joy’.
Related Questions
[I] What does the phrase ‘spot of joy’ refer to in the poem.
[II] What is meant by ‘spot of joy’ in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
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5. *“That piece a wonder,——-“ Why is the piece called ‘a wonder’?
👉As a true lover of art the Duke calls the painting of his wife ‘a wonder’ because it is the passionate look in the painting that he admires even more than the lady whom it presents. Besides it feeds his vanity that a famous artist like Fra Pandolf has portrayed his wife’s picture.
Related Questions
[I] Why is the painting of the Duchess called ‘a piece of wonder’?
[II] “I call /that piece a wonder, now.” Explain.
[III] “That piece a wonder,——-“ Why did the Duke call his dead Duchess’ painting ‘a wonder’?
👉The Duke called the painting of his dead Duchess a wonder because of two reasons. Firstly, it was the passionate look in the painting that he admired it even more than the lady whom it represents. Secondly, it feeds his vanity that a celebrated artist like Fra Pandolf has agreed to paint his significant wife’s picture.
[IV] “I call /that piece a wonder.” What is referred to here as ‘that piece’?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ here the Duke of Ferrara by ‘that piece’ refers to the life-like portrait of his last Duchess painted by the celebrated painter Fra Pandolf who worked busily a day to get it done. This is the portrait that the Duke shows to the ambassador.
[VI] “I call /That piece a wonder…” What is being referred to here in this line and who created ‘that piece’?
[VII] “I call /That piece a wonder, now.” Which piece is referred to here and who has made ‘that piece’?
[VIII] Who created ‘that piece a wonder’ and how was it created?
[V] “That piece a wonder, now.” What does ‘that piece’ refer and what does the word ‘now’ suggest?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ here the Duke of Ferrara by ‘that piece’ refers to the life-like portrait of his last Duchess painted by the celebrated painter Fra Pandolf who worked busily a day to get it done. This is the portrait that the Duke shows to the ambassador.
Here the word ‘now’ suggests the Duke’s narrow mentality towards his last Duchess whom he considered a mere possession. By using the word ‘now’ in the above mentioned line, the Duke possibly implies that he now values the painting of his dead Duchess more than he valued the Duchess herself when she was alive. In a line it suggests the Duke’s viewing the subject of his dead wife as a piece of art rather than sentimentally his wife.
[IX] “That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands /Worked busily a day,” What is the significant about the Duke mentioning ‘Fra Pandolf’ by name?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara repeatedly mentions the name of Fra Pandolf, a fictitious Italian painter who painted the life-like portrait of the last Duchess of the Duke. The Duke’s mentioning of the artist is significant because it highlights his obsession with status and wealth, as he aways brags about empowering a famous artist like Fra Pandolf to paint the portrait of his last Duchess just to use the name of the renowned painter to showcase his own influence and power rather than focusing on the Duchess herself.
[X] Why was the name of Fra Pandolf mentioned by the Duke?
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6. *”This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” Why did the speaker give such commands?
👉The Duke had a great sense of dignity. He did not like his wife’s habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all. Therefore he gave such commands to kill his Duchess, and as a result of which all her smiles stopped forever.
Related Questions
[I] “This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” What made the speaker to give such ‘commands’?
[II] “Then all smiles stopped together.” What does the expression ‘all smiles stopped together’ suggest?
[III] “Then all smiles stopped together.” Explain the line.
[IV] “…..all smiles stopped together.” What has been implied here?
[V] “Then all smiles stopped together.” Why did the smiles stop?
[VI] “This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” What does the speaker imply by the comments?
[VII] What does ‘all smiles stopped’ imply in the line 46 of ‘My Last Duchess’?
[VIII] “I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” What does the Duke mean when he says : I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together?
[IX] Why did the Duchess stop smiling?
[X] What commands did the Duke give?
[XI] What does the Duke imply by the expression ‘I gave commands’?
[XII] “I gave commands;” Who gave commands and to what effect?
[XIII] “I gave commands;” What were the commands?
[XIV] “I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” Who is ‘I’ here? Elucidate the lines.
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ the arrogant Duke of Ferrara is referred to here as ‘I’.
The Duke had a great sense of dignity. He did not like his wife’s habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all. Therefore he gave such commands to kill his Duchess, and as a result of which all her smiles stopped forever.
[XV] “Then all smiles stopped together.” Whose ‘smiles’ are referred to here? What does it mean?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ the ‘smiles’ of the innocent last Duchess of the Duke of Ferrara are referred to here.
The Duke had a great sense of dignity. He did not like his wife’s habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all. Therefore he gave such commands to kill his Duchess, and as a result of which all her smiles stopped forever.
[XVI] “This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” Explain in brief with reference to the context.
👉The extremely gay and expansive nature of the Duchess irritated the Duke who nursed a grudge against her for not giving him any special favour. He thought that his wife was overstepping the bounds of modesty and decorum, so he ordered her to be killed.
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7. *“Notice Neptune, though, /Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,” What do you think Neptune ‘taming a sea horse’ symbolise?
👉At the end of his talk, the Duke draws the attention of the visitor to the bronze cast of Neptune, the sea-god taming a sea-horse. By referring it, the poet actually symbolizes the true character of the Duke who believes in taming wives. This is supposed rather to be an indirect warning, communicate to the count’s daughter, through the envoy.
Related Questions
[I] What characteristic trait of the Duke’s character can be discerned when he refers to the bronze statue of Neptune?
[II] How does the image of Neptune taming a sea-horse’ is identified with the Duke in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?️
[III] What does the statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse symbolise?
[IV] What does Neptune taming a sea-horse signify in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[V] What does the reference of the bronze statue of Neptune signify?
[VI] What does ‘Neptune, though, taming a sea horse’ symbolise?
[VII] In ‘My Last Duchess’ how does the Neptune statue symbolize the Duke?
[VIII] What is the significance of the reference to the statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse by the Duke?
[IX] What is implied by the Duke’s reference to Neptune taming a sea-horse?
[X] What does the statue mentioned at the end of ‘My Last Duchess’ depict?
[XI] ‘Neptune taming a sea-horse’ What does it symbolize?
[XII] Which side of the Duke’s character is revealed when he refers to the bronze statue of Neptune?
[XIII] “Notice Neptune, though, /Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,” What is indicated here?
👉At the end of his talk, the Duke shows the visitor a rare antic piece of a bronze statue of Neptune trying to tame a sea-horse. It actually implies the true character of the Duke who believes in taming wives. By showing the statue, the Duke indicates that the dowry from the count must be consummated to his high status that promoted a great sculptor to make a masterpiece of Neptune.
[XIV] Why does the Duke mention Neptune and the sea-horse?
[XV] In ‘My Last Duchess’ why is the Duke pointing to the bronze statue?
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8. “I know not how — as if she ranked /My gift of a nine-hundred-years old name /With anybody’s gift.” What light do the above lines throw on the character of the person spoken about?
👉The Duke says that his wife made no distinction between the gifts of his name and the petty gifts of others. She seemed to consider his great family name on an equal level with ordinary things. So, in reality, she was innocent and good natured, but to the Duke she had no sense of taste and proprietary.
9. “Fra Pandolf’s hands /Worked busily a day, and there she stands.” What does the speaker want to tell?
👉Here the speaker tells that the painting of the last Duchess is a tremendous work of art done by the celebrated painter Fra Pandolf who delineated the life like picture by working only for a single day. Through his speech we can say that he has a critical taste in art.
Related Question
“Fra Pandolf’s hands /Worked busily a day, and there she stands.” When does the Duke in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ utter this? What does he want to say here?
👉Here the Duke utters this when he was showing the portrait of his last Duchess to the ambassador of a count whose daughter will be his next Duchess.
The Duke tells that the portrait of his last Duchess is a stupendous work of art done by the eminent painter, Fra Pandolf who delineated the life-like picture of the last Duchess by working only for a single day.
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10. *Who are Fra Pandolf and Claus of Innsbruck?
👉They are not real, historically known figures, but the creations of the poet. Fra Pandolf is represented by the poet as a celebrated painter. Claus of Innsbruck is a sculptor who made for the Duke the bronze statue of the sea-god Neptune taming the sea-horse.
Related Questions
[I] Who are the two artists mentioned in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
👉There are two fictitious artists mentioned in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’. The first one is Fra Pandolf who is presented as a celebrated painter who painted the life-like portrait of the last Duchess–the portrait that the Duke shows to the ambassador. And the second one is Claus of Innsbruck, a sculptor who made for the Duke the bronze statue of the sea-god Neptune taming the sea-horse.
[II] What is the name of the sculptor mentioned in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ and what piece of work of art did he gift to the Duke?
👉At the end of Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ a sculptor is mentioned whose name is Claus of Innsbruck. He is the sculptor who made for the Duke the bronze statue of the sea-god Neptune taming the sea-horse.
[III] Who is Fra Pandolf?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ Fra Pandolf is the name of some fictitious Italian painter who painted the life-like portrait of the last Duchess–the portrait that the Duke shows to the ambassador.
[IV] Who was Fra Pandolf?
[V] Who was Fra Pandolf mentioned in the verse ‘My Last Duchess’?
[VI] Who is Fra Pandolf in ‘My Last Duchess’?
[VII] “Fra Pandolf by design.” Who is Fra Pandolf?
[VIII] Who is Fra Pandolf and what work has he done?
[IX] What is told about Fra Pandolf in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
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Unit – II
11. What is the Duke’s request to the convoy?
👉After his monologue about last Duchess, the Duke reminds the convoy of a count whose daughter he proposes to marry, of his expectations of a handsome dowry. He even indirectly threatens that no pretext for the refusal of the said dowry will be entertained by him.
12. What is the poet’s objective in the poem?
👉The poet’s objective is to oppose the thoughtless vehemence of sexual jealousy of a vain egoist. The Duke could not bear his innocent Duchess’s liberal and frank attitude to all. Haunted with his proud possessive instinct, he therefore, commanded or wanted to kill her.
13. What does the expression ”I gave commands;” Signify?
👉The Duke says that his last Duchess was in the habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all which incurred the displeasure and disgust of the Duke who failed to discipline her. Actually he was spiritually deaf who could not understand the Duchess’s child like nobility and gave such commands to stop her smiles forever.
14. What are the restrictions imposed upon the Duchess by the Duke?
👉The Duke never liked the Duchess’s habit of smiling and showing appreciation to all or everything. So, he gave commands to stop her smiles forever and imposing this restriction the Duchess became became fully changed.
Related Question
How did the Duchess incur the displeasure of the Duke?
👉The Duke was displeased with the Duchess as the latter did not show any special favour to him; she equated the Duke’s loving gift with those of others and above all her gay, ever expansive nature made the Duke angry.
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15. *Sketch the character of the Duke as revealed in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’.
👉Browning in his dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ shows an arrogant Renaissance Duke who has a great sense of dignity that prevents him from praising goodness and simplicity of the Duchess. The poet portrays the Duke as unscrupulous, self-dignified, selfish, tyrannical and mercenary. But in spite of such the Duke presents himself as a lover of art.
Related Questions
[I] What kind of a personality, do you think, is the Duke?
[II] What type of a man is the Duke in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[III] What does the Duke’s speech reveal about his character in ‘My Last Duchess’?
[IV] What does the Duke reveal about his character through his speech in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[V] What does the poem reveal about speaker’s personality and value?
[VI] What kind of a man was the Duke of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
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16. Who is Ferrara? What was he proud of?
👉In Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ Ferrara is the arrogant Renaissance Duke of Italy. He was proud of his royal name which was a nine-hundred year old princely reputation attached to it and his art collection.
Related Question
Give a brief identification of Ferrara.
👉Ferrara is an ancient city in Italy. It was the capital of a city dukedom during the Middle Age and the Renaissance period in Italy. Once it was ruled by a jealous and extremely cruel Duke.
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17. *Sketch the character of the last Duchess.
👉According to Browning, the Duchess was, no doubt, a lady of beauty and grace. She was good natured, simple and frank. She had no aristocratic ego of her husband. Indeed, she was not what her husband is and so she became a helpless victim of her cruel husband.
Related Questions
[I] What type of a lady was the Duchess?
[II] What type of a lady was the Duchess in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[III] According to Browning, what type of a lady was the Duchess?
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18. Who is the last Duchess in Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess”? What does the story tell us about her fate?
👉The Duchess was the wife of the Duke of Ferrara. The Duchess was a woman of gay, expansive natured woman who did not hesitate to lay bare her heart even to strangers. This was what the Duke did not approve of. But he could not prevail over her and in sheer disgust the Duke got her killed.
19. “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, /Looking as if she were alive.” Explain.
👉The first two lines of the poem, “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning shows that the Duke orders to paint a portrait of his last Duchess and the love is that of the sincere admiration of a feminine lover of art. The painter Fra Pandolf paints a life-like picture. The qualities of last Duchess are goodness and sense of joy.
Related Question
“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,” What is significant about the portrait?
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20. What is the concluding image of “My Last Duchess”? What does it signify?
👉The concluding image of Neptune taming a sea-horse is indicative of the way the Duke expects of taming his future wife. The image is thus loaded with sinister implication.
Unit – III
21. What was the original title of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
👉The original title of Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ was simply ‘Italy’ when it was first published in his collection ‘Dramatic Lyrics’ in 1842.
22. What society does ‘My Last Duchess’ portray?
👉Robert Browning in his dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ reflects the societal norms and expectations prevalent during the Victorian era. In this poem through the Duke the poet reveals common beliefs in society during the Victorian era that women are objects to be controlled and possessed.
23. What kind of poem is ‘My Last Duchess’? Who is the Duchess referred to in this poem?
👉Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ is a dramatic monologue of the soul of the Duke mentioned in the poem.Here the Duchess refers to the former wife of the Duke of Ferrara, Lucrezia_de Medici, best known as Nannina de’ Medici, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
24. *What does the Duke inform the envoy about the painting in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
👉In Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara shows the envoy a portrait on the wall and introduces it as his last Duchess. The Duke informs the envoy that it is a wonderful life-like portrait painted by the celebrated painter Fra Pandolf who worked busily a day to get it done. Then the Duke invites the emissary to sit before the picture to have good look at it.
Related Questions
[I] How does the Duke describe the painting of the last Duchess?
[II] Describe in brief the portrait of the Duchess in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’.
[III] “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,” What is remarkable about the portrait?
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25. Why did the envoy come to meet the Duke?
👉In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the envoy came from a well-known Count who wanted to arrange the marriage of his daughter with the Duke. The envoy of the Count came to meet the Duke to negotiate the Duke’s marriage for he had been widowed, to the daughter of the Count.
26. *Who is the speaker in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ and to whom does he speak?
👉The Duke of Ferrara is the speaker of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning. He speaks to the envoy of the well-known Count who comes to meet him to negotiate his to the daughter of the Count.
Related Questions
[I] Who is the speaker and who is the listener in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[II] Who is the speaker and what is the situation of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
[III] Who talks in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ and to whom?
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27. *Who drew the picture of the last Duchess and how long did he take to complete it?
👉In Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ Fra Pandolf, a celebrated painter, drew the life-like portrait of the last Duchess. Fra Pandolf worked busily a day to get it done.
Related Questions
[I] Who painted the portrait of the last Duchess? How much time did the painter take to paint it?
[II] Who painted the picture of the last Duchess? How long did it take to complete the painting?
[III] Who and for what amount of time drew the painting of the last Duchess?
[IV] Who painted the portrait of the last Duchess?
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28. What did those who viewed the portrait seem to ask the Duke?
👉Those who were fortunate to view the portrait of the last Duchess seemed to ask the reason behind the earnest look on the face of the Duchess in the portrait.
29. *How, according to the speaker of ‘My Last Duchess’, was the nature of the Duchess?
👉According to the speaker of ‘My Last Duchess’, the Duke, his last Duchess was overly friendly and joyful in nature. She smiled too much while talking to people, and she was easily impressed. She ranked his prestigious valuable gift with anybody’s gift. According to the Duke, this kind of nature of the Duchess was disgraceful to him. So, the Duke was displeased and unhappy with his first wife and ordered her to be killed.
Related Questions
[I] How does the Duke describe his last Duchess?
[II] How is the Duchess introduced in the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’?
[III] What is the speaker’s attitude towards his late wife, the Duchess, as revealed in the poem?
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30. *What does the title of the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’ refer to?
👉The title of Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ refers to the Duke of Ferrara’s former wife, the ‘last Duchess’.
Unit – IV
31. *What type of a lady was the Duchess? Why was she killed?
👉The Duchess was, no doubt, a lady of beauty and grace. She was good natured, simple and frank. She had no aristocratic ego of her husband. Indeed, she was not what her husband is and so she became a helpless victim of her cruel husband.
32. *Why was the Duchess killed?
👉In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke was most irritated by the Duchess’s friendly and joyful nature. She ranked his prestigious valuable gift with anybody’s gift and used to smile while talking with people. So, the Duke was displeased and unhappy with his first wife and order her to be killed.
Related Question
Why was the Duchess put to death by the Duke?
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️33. *Which trait of the Duchess’s character irritated the Duke most?
👉In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke was most irritated by the Duchess’s friendly and joyful nature.
34. *Why did the Duke dislike the Duchess?
👉The Duke disliked his Duchess because of his friendly and joyful nature. She ranked his prestigious valuable gift with anybody’s gift and used to smile while talking with people. So, the Duke was displeased and unhappy with his first wife.
Related Question
Why was the Duke unhappy with his first wife?
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35. *What is the theme of ‘My Last Duchess’?
👉Robert Browning in his dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ through the character of the Duke of Ferrara reveals the theme of obsession with power and control, particularly a man’s possessiveness and jealousy towards his wife. Here in the poem the Duke’s possessive and controlling nature over his last Duchess is exposed to readers.
Related Questions
[I] What is the main theme of ‘My Last Duchess’?
[II] What is the dominant point of view in ‘My Last Duchess’?
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36. *What do you mean by ‘nine-hundred-years old name’?
👉The Duke in Browning’s monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ by ‘nine-hundred-years old name’ refers to his very old, aristocratic, prestigious, well-known and noble family lineage.
37. *Where did the Duchess in ‘My Last Duchess’ ride the white mule?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara told the envoy that his last Duchess rode with the white mule round the terrace of the palace.
Related Question
With which did the last Duchess ride and where?
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38. *How did the Duchess respond to the white mule in her afternoon ride?
👉As the Duchess was a woman of simple disposition, she felt glad at every small thing and affair. So when she rode with the white mule round the terrace of the palace of the Duke, she felt glad and expressed her happiness by blushing.
39. *What are the circumstances under which the Duke and the envoy meet?
👉In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara, who had lately been widowed, was set to marry the Count’s daughter. So, the envoy came from the well-known Count who wanted to arrange the marriage of his daughter with the Duke. The envoy of the Count came to meet the Duke to negotiate the Duke’s marriage to the daughter of the Count.
Related Question
What is the occasion for the speaker’s monologue in ‘My Last Duchess’?
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40. Use any five adjectives to describe the character of the Duke.
👉The following five adjectives can be used to describe the character of the Duke of Ferrara in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’– arrogant, suspicious, authoritative, possessive and greedy.
Unit – V
41. *What gift did the Duke give to the Duchess?
👉The Duke in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ had shown his favour to his last Duchess by giving her a place in a noble family nine-hundred-years-old in marrying her. According to the Duke, it’s the most valuable gift to his Duchess. But she could not understand the value of his gift.
Related Questions
[I] What was the gift that the Duke had given to the Duchess?
[II] What is the Duke’s gift to his wife?
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42. *“This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together.” How does this speech reveal the character of the speaker?
👉In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke was displeased with the Duchess’s friendly and joyful nature, so he ordered her to be killed. This speech of the Duke reveals him as a cold and ruthless killer. In other words the speech highlights the Duke’s power and ruthlessness in the historical context where noblemen could easily command such fatal actions.
43. *Why does the Duke hide the painting behind a curtain?
👉In Browning’s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ the arrogant Duke of Ferrara hides the painting of his dead Duchess behind a curtain so that he can limit who can view it. It symbolizes his extreme desire for control over her, even after her death. It also symbolizes his power of giving and taking away whatever he wants.
44. Who is ‘Neptune’ and who is ‘Claus of Innsbruck’?
👉In Roman mythology Neptune is the god of freshwater and the sea. He is the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon, and Salacia is his wife.
In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ Claus of Innsbruck is a fictional sculptor who made the bronze statue of the sea-god Neptune taming a sea-horse for the Duke of Ferrara.
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WBCHSE Sample Questions
1. What type of a lady was the Duchess?……(2)
👉The Duchess was, no doubt, a lady of beauty and grace. She was good natured, simple and frank. She had no aristocratic ego of her husband. Indeed, she was not what her husband is and so she became a helpless victim of her cruel husband.
2. What characteristic trait of the Duke’s character can be discerned when he refers to the bronze statue of Neptune?……(2)
👉At the end of his talk, the Duke draws the attention of the visitor to the bronze cast of Neptune, the sea-god taming a sea-horse. By referring it, the poet actually symbolizes the true character of the Duke who believes in taming wives. This is supposed rather to be an indirect warning, communicate to the count’s daughter, through the envoy.
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