My Last Duchess Questions and Answers | Class 11 English Second Semester WBCHSE
Explain Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ as a piece of dramatic monologue.
Ans. First published in the collection ‘Dramatic Lyrics’ in 1842, ‘My Last Duchess’ is an excellent piece of Browning’s dramatic monologue. The poem opens abruptly featuring a single speaker, the Duke of Ferrara. He is talking to an unseen listener, the envoy of the Count who is silent and is dramatically present to ‘sit and look at her. Standing in front of a portrait of the Duke’s last Duchess, now dead, the Duke talks about the woman’s imperfections and faults. The irony of the poem surfaces as we discover the Duchess faults were virtues like compassion, modesty, humility, delight in simple pleasures and courtesy to those who served her. The Duke’s speech flows like a stream of consciousness, revealing his thoughts and feelings without pause. Through his words the Duke reveals his own character, showing himself to be an arrogant, possessive, jealous, egoistic ruthless and greedy. Browning’s poetic language adds to the dramatic effect and immediacy. By using his techniques, Browning creates a dramatic monologue that masterfully explores the complexities of the human psyche, creating a haunting and thought provoking poem.
How does the Duke’s description of the portrait reveal his relationship with his last Duchess?
Aris. The Duke’s description of the portrait of his last Duchess reveals a complex and troubled relationship with her. His description of the portrait as ‘the depth and passion of its earnest glance’ reveals that his tone is full of contempt and over possessiveness. He reviews the reasons why ‘that’ joy was a ‘spot that should not have been on her cheek. Here his contempt and self-justifying anger is visible. His description of the painter, Fra Pandolf, and his explanations regarding the ‘earnest glance’ suggest a marriage marked by possessiveness, control, jealousy and suspicion. The Duke saw the Duchess as his own status and power. The portrait of the Duchess also represents the Duke’s nostalgia for the Duchess and his guilt over his actions which he tries to mask with his possessive and controlling behaviour. Moreover he uses the word “That’s’ to demonstrate the portrait of his Duchess which is not so far. The use of this determiner That’ is indicative of his physical, mental and emotional aloofness and distance from his last Duchess.
What does the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ reveal about the social and cultural context of Renaissance Court?
Ans. The poem “My Last Duchess” unfolds the social and cultural context of the Renaissance court, specially the aristocratic society of the 16th century Italy. Patriarchal and oppressive attitudes that the Duke possesses were prevalent during that time. The Duke’s possessiveness and control of his wife reveals the patriarchal norms of the Renaissance Court where women were seen as property and status symbol. The Duke’s expectation of obedience and his willingness to punish discord reflect the authoritarian and oppressive nature of the aristocratic society. Furthermore the Duke’s pride in his family’s heritage reveals the importance of social status, lineage and reputation in Renaissance courtly life. His calculation of the Duchess smile as a valuable asset to be controlled and displayed also highlights that women’s bodies were considered as commodity and things of beauty during this period.
How does the Duke reveal the true nature of his character through his words and actions?
Ans. Through the monologue Browning has given us the opportunity to survey the true nature of the Duke’s character. The first line of the poem sums up the arrogance of the Duke. The Duke’s abhorant attitude for his wife is reflected in the use of the determiner ‘that’. The Duke’s fascination for art is also visible here. The Duke shows his power or economic strength that he has the capacity to hire even a great artist when he repeatedly mentions the name Fra Pandolf. The Duke was a man of autocratic temperament and there was a sexual jealousy in him. So he could not tolerate his wife speaking to or smiling at others. The Duke denied to stoop before his wife at the cost of family prestige. Hence he gave order to stop her smiles for ever. The Duke is not repentant for his misdeed. He rather considers it as his strength and so he informs the envoy that he expects no remission in the dowry he demands. The dominating aspect of the Duke is evident towards the end of the poem when he shows the envoy a bronze sculpture presenting the Roman sea God Neptune taming the sea-horse. Thus through his words and actions the Duke presents himself as a bold, arrogant, jealous, dominating and ruthless character.
Why did the Duke appear to be unhappy with his last Duchess?
Ans. In the poem ‘My Last Duchess’, the Duke appears to be dissatisfied with his last Duchess because he can not reconcile the fact that her deep passionate gaze was not reserved completely for him. He only remembers her through his harsh tone, implying that her attitude towards humans and nature both insulted him because she did not show special regard to his family name and heritage. He refused to descend to convey his affections to her, instead, ‘gave orders’ to have her slain. He alleges she flirted with everyone and was unappreciative of her status. He found her generous personality of thanking anyone disgusting and inappropriate. He felt deceived and underestimated by her unreserved and joyful attitude towards her surroundings and around her. The Duke’s foolishness had trampled his ability to be truly happy and content with his Duchess.
Who painted the picture of the Duchess? Or, Describe the picture of the Duchess?
Ans. Fra Pandolf painted the picture of the Duchess. In Browning’s poem ‘My Last Dutchess’, the Duke shows the picture of his last Duchess to the envoy of a count whose daughter he is going to marry. The painting is beautiful and life- like. The glance of the Dutchess is intense and passionate. It amazes the strangers. The cheeks of the Duchess are tinged with peculiar blush of happiness that disappears along the throat. The picture is usually curtained and none but the Duke may draw aside the curtain from the picture to show it to the visitors.
Why does the Duke in My Last Dutches hide the Duchess’s painting behind a curtain?
Ans. The Duke hides the painting of the Duchess behind a curtain so that only he can have full access to her image. This reinforces his ownership and control. The Duke may feel that the portrait is too intimate for revealing, and hiding it protects the Duchess’s image from being seen by others. The curtain can be seen here as a symbol for the Duke’s concealment of the truth about his relationship with the Duchess and her fate. The hidden portrait creates a sense of drama and anticipation, allowing the Duke to reveal it to his guest and the reader at a chosen moment, emphasizing his power and control. The curtain may also represent the Duke’s seperation from reality, hiding the truth about his actions and the Duchess’s fate, even from himself. Hiding the portrait the Duke maintains his possesive and authoratarian nature.
What does the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ tell about the position of women in that society?
Ans. The poem ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning portrays the position of women in Italy in the 16th century. The entire poem portrays the Duke’s domineering personality. In the poem he refers to the Duchess as ‘mine’ to demonstrate possession. This type of behaviour was common in Italy then. The women were considered as commodity. They were infererior in the eyes of the men. The society was patriarchal. Marriage was an economic agreement. The Duke bargains for new bride in purely economic terms. The Duke was unable to possess his Duchess and he reduced her to a painting. Only he gazes at her portrait and controls her hiding behind a curtain.
Bring out the character of the Duchess in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’.
Ans. In Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’, the picture of the Duchess emerges from the Duke’s own words. The Duchess was a youthful, pliable, innocent and good natured lady who could not adopt the arrogance of her cunning and unscrupulous husband. Happiness and impressions came to her naturally. A valuable gift from the Duke to adore her chest meant joy to her no less than a sunset, a courtier’s gift of some cherries and the white mule she rode round the terrace. She smiled on the Duke whenever he passed her, though she used to share the same smile with anyone else. This shows the simplicity and innocent nature of her. This simplicity is evident when she found no difference between the Duke’s gift of a nine hundred years old name and anybody’s gift and thus unwittingly wounded the absurdly pretentious vanity of the Duke. She was frank and readily pleased. Her child-like nobility was subdued inevitably by the tyrannical Duke for her marriage with the Duke was a clash of personalities.
“I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”-Who is the speaker? Whose smiles are referred to here? What prompted the Duke to give such commands?
Ans. The Duke of Ferrara, the single speaker in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is the speaker here.
The smiles of his last Duchess are referred to here.
The carefree innocence of the last Duchess was intolerable to the Duke. The Duke’s terrible jealousy, autocratic and tyrannical nature and over-possessiveness make him blind to the Duchess’ genuine heart and innocent disposition. The Duchess was youthful and she had the simple and unfeigned heart to get joy from even trivial matters in life. She smiled on the Duke whenever he passed her but shared the same smile with anyone else. This, what might be a virtue, was a flaw of character to the Duke. To the superfluously jealous Duke such smiles aroused suspicion in him about the character of the Duchess. His dirty mind churned out that such reactions of the Duchess were undermining his status, pride and ancestral name and she might have some affairs. Therefore out of insane mind he passed his commands to stop all smiles together forever.
“Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse”. Who is the speaker? Whom does the speaker say this? What do you know about Neptune? What does this expression suggest here?
Ans. The Duke of Ferrara in Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is the speaker here.
The speaker asks the envoy from the Count, the silent listener to notice the bronze sculpture of Neptune.
Neptune in Roman mythology is the name of the God of the sea. His chariot is drawn by seahorses which are under his control.
Before going downstairs, the Duke asks his listener to notice the bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a seahorse which probably becomes unregulated. The sculpture of Neptune indicates that the Duke sees himself as a god-like figure who has every right to control his property. The Duke is eager to show his masculinity and the figure of Neptune symbolises the Dukes aspiration for complete control. The sculpture is a status symbol. Through this figure the Duke implicitly suggests that he knows to tame his wife if she turns unruly as he did for the last Duchess. This seems a warning for his next wife.
“Such stuff / Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough / For calling up that spot of joy”-Who is the speaker here? Who is ‘she’? What does the speaker mean by ‘such stuff’? What does the expression ‘the spot of joy’ mean?
Ans. The Duke of Ferrara, in Browning‘s dramatic monologue ‘My Last Duchess’ is the speaker here.
The accursed Duchess, the Duke’s last Duchess who is dead now is ‘she’.
The Duke while depicting the portrait of his deceased Duchess brought the envoy’s attention to the pictured countenance of the painting. He tried to explain what might have caused the Duchess to blush. The painter Fra Pandolf might have informed her that her ‘mantle’ covered her wrist excessively or he might have passed some flattering compliments by saying that the half-flush along the throat could not be painted so well as it was in real. These compliments are called ‘such stuff.
The expression the spot of joy’ means the blush of joy and happiness into the painted cheek.
“…. for never read / Strangers like you that pictured countenance, / The depth and passion of its earnest glance, / But to myself they turned (since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) / And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there” Describe what the speaker want to convey here. What traits of the speaker’s character are visible in the lines in the parenthesis?
Ans. The speaker here is the Duke of Ferrera, the lone speaker Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’. The Duke shows the picture of his last Duchess to the envoy of a Count whose daughter he is going to marry. Here he wants to convey that strangers like the envoy always look at the Duchess’ painted countenance and are amazed to see the deep and passionate look in the keen eyes of the Duchess. Then they turn to the Duke. It seemed that they would ask him, it they dared, what had brought such a look into the eyes of the Duchess. They turned only to the Duke to dared to ask since only he uncovers the portrait by pulling back the curtain.
The lines in the parenthesis indicate the Duke’s sense of authoritarianism. He thereby suggests that he not only possesses the portrait but also his lady as well. He has the sole power to display the painting.
“Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat”- Explain what does the speaker mean here? What conclusion does he made then? What trait of the Duke’s character is visible here?
Ans. Here the Duke of Ferrara explains to the envoy the cause of his wife’s blush on the painted countenance. The above mentioned compliment, according to the Duke might be made by the famous painter, Fra Pandolf. Perhaps the painter while painting her picture might have flattered saying that he was not able to show in the portrait the soft, rosy bloom which faded away along her throat. This kind of flattering comments were the reasons enough behind her blush and not only his presence.
The Duke, therefore, came to the conclusion that the Duchess thought, those flattering comments were reasons enough for her to blush. This was a flaw of her character since, as the Duke perceives, the Duchess lacked the sense of her dignified status. So those remarks quite easily made her happy and impressed.
The Duke’s jealous temper and egotism is apparent here.
Why was the Duke unhappy with his first wife? Why did not he express his unhappiness and grudge with the Duchess’ behaviour?
Ans. The Duke, a man full of domineering attitude, desired complete surrender and submissiveness from the Duchess’ end. Being a man of elite class, he always wanted that his wife should retain the prestige of the elevated social status, according to his expectations. But what he perceived was contrary to his expectations. His wife, being a lively, innocent and good-natured woman could easily impressed by others and found joy in everything around her. The Duke has sexual jealousy and is over-possessive. He wished that his wife should seal all her gratitude, pleasing nature, loyalty exclusively for him. The Duchess’ habit of smiling, shouting appreciation and thanksgiving to all and sundry incurred the displeasure and disgust of the Duke and he felt supremely unhappy. To the Duke it is beyond his dignity to demonstrate her faults for amendment. It is his belief that criticizing someone by showing flaws is equal to ‘stooping’ which is not his subject. He did not want to squander away his aristocratic rank and stature by tutoring his lady.
What does the Duke reveal about himself through literary techniques?
Ans. With the help of several imageries and symbols the Duke reveals his domineering and dominating character full of egotism and sexual jealousy. He intends to show his control over his deceased wife by keeping her portrait behind the curtain. While showing the portrait of the Duchess to the envoy, the Duke uses a parenthesis suggesting that he possesses not only the portrait of the lady but also the Duchess as well. This indicates the Duke’s sense of authoritarianism. The detailed imagery of blushing and smiling reveals his sexual jealousy and egotistic nobility. With the help of those imageries he tries to justify the killing of the Duchess. Again the sculpture of Neptune, taming a sea- horse is used as a symbol that reflects his control and dominance before his strong will.
How does the Duke try to justify his cruel treatment toward the Duchess?
Ans. The Duke in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is displayed as a machiavellian character who with all his cunning oratory tries to prove his unjust and cruel treatments toward the Duchess just. He tries his best to demonstrate his wife as unfaithful and wanton. According to him she had no sense of self-dignity and aristrocratic status. Even very trivial acts of courtesy could please her well. She had the habit of shouting appreciation to all in the same way for their remarks. Demolishing the prestige of his nine-hundred- years old pedigree she used to express her gratitude to all for their gifts presented to her in the same way as she used to express her gratefulness to him for his gift of renowned ancient ancestry. Gentle smile would appear on her face not only for the Duke but also for all and sundry. So the Duke one day stopped all her smiles by order since she deserved such, for she never tried to learn how to amend her flaws.
“Notice Neptune, though/Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me”-Explain the significance of these lines.
Ans. Before going downstairs, the Duke instructed the envoy to notice the bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a sea-horse. He informed the envoy that it was made by Claus of Innsbruck specially for him and that was a rare sculpture. Through these lines the Duke’s vanity to keep rare and valuable things of art is clearly visible and here he tried to prove himself to be a lover of art and culture. Moreover, this rare piece of sculpture shows Roman mythological God of sea, Neptune taming a sea-horse. Here lies an implication too. Like Neptune, the Duke thinks himself to be a god and implies his fondness for domination and controlling authority. He sees women as objects and knows to tame a wanton wife. His failure to gain mastery over the last Duchess brought her merciless doom. So this is perhaps like a warning for his proposed wife. Quite significantly here is an implicit implication that he is going to tame his proposed wife whitout any mercy.
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