My Last Duchess Flashcards

All 9 cards in this deck

Who wrote ‘My Last Duchess’, and when?

Robert Browning, in 1842 (Dramatic Lyrics).

What form is ‘My Last Duchess’?

A dramatic monologue.

What rhyme and metre does ‘My Last Duchess’ use?

Rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter, with heavy enjambment.

Who is the speaker of ‘My Last Duchess’?

The Duke of Ferrara.

Whom is the Duke speaking to in ‘My Last Duchess’?

An envoy of a Count, whose daughter the Duke plans to marry.

Which real duke is the speaker of ‘My Last Duchess’ based on?

Alfonso II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, whose young first wife died in 1561.

What hangs in front of the portrait in ‘My Last Duchess’?

A curtain, which only the Duke draws back.

Complete the quotation from ‘My Last Duchess’: “I gave commands; / Then all …”

“… smiles stopped together.”

What are the main themes of ‘My Last Duchess’?

Power, control, pride and jealousy.