My Last Duchess Short Questions and Answers | Class 11 English Second Semester WBCHSE
1. What is Ferrara?
Ans. Ferrara is the name of a well-fortified city of Lower-Lombardy. Ferrara is famous for exporting marbles.
2. Who is Fra Pandolf?
Ans. Fra Pandolf is the name of a famous imaginary artist. This name is used by the Duke to impress the envoy of his prospective father-in-law with his position and efficiency. According to the Duke Fra Pandolf is the creator of the painting of her last Duchess.
3. “Fra Pandolf’s hands / Worked busily a day, and there she stands”-What does the speaker want to say here?
Ans. The Duke shows the picture of his last Duchess to the envoy of a Count whose daughter he is going to marry. He says that it is a wonderful work of art done by the famous painter Fra Pandolf who worked for a day and the result was this marvellous picture.
4. Who is the speaker and who is the listener in this poem?
Ans. In Browning‘s poem ‘My Last Duchess the only speaker is the Duke of Ferrara and the silent listener is the envoy of a Count whose daughter the Duke is going to marry.
5. “…… and there she stands”-Who is she and where does she stand?
Ans. The last Duchess, the wife of the Duke, in the portrait on the wall is referred to here. The portrait displays the painting of the Duchess in standing position.
6. “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall”-How does this first line of the poem highlight the character of the Duke?
Ans. While describing the portrait of his wife the Duke refers to her as ‘my’ last Duchess. The stress on the word ‘my’ reveals the sense of owning his wife. The Duke reduced the dignity of his wife, a woman by putting a stress on the word ‘That’. It seems as if the Duke considers his wife like an object that he owns.
7. What does the title of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ refer to?
Ans. The title of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ refers to a painting of the Duke’s deceased wife. The title seems ironical as that was not his last Duchess in true sense because he is going to marry the Count’s fair daughter, and thus will get his next Duchess.
8. What is the nature of the Duke?
Ans. The Duke through his speech reveals himself to be an autocratic man full of egotism. There is sexual jealousy in him which debarred him from tolerating his ‘Last Duchess. He himself is spiritually dead and so could not appreciate the nobility and beauty of the Duchess’ soul. He believes in taming his wife to keep her under his sole control.
9. Why type of lady was the Duchess?
Ans. The Duchess was a woman of free and frank disposition. She was an innocent, youthful and good natured lady who simply could not adopt the arrogance and egotism of her tyrannical husband. She had a smile and words of appreciation for all and sundry.
10. How does the poem display the Duke’s tone?
Ans. The voice or tone of the Duke throughout the poem is one of jealousy, authoritarian, full of arrogance and egotism. To him women are like objects, like the very painting he illustrates to the envoy of the Count.
11. What does the Duke in this poem intend to tell or show the envoy?
Ans. The Duke perhaps intends to show off his elitism, acquisitions and love for art and culture. But most significantly through the envoy the Duke wants to send a covert message to his proposed Duchess that he wants complete submission from her.
12. What does the Duke reveal about himself through literary techniques?
Ans. Through several symbols and imageries the Duke makes his domineering character full of egotism visible before us. He intends to show his control over his deceased wife by keeping her portrait behind the curtain. By pointing to the sculpture of Neptune taming a sea-horse he displays his own character who likes total control and power and submissiveness. Moreover the imageries of blushing and smiling reveals his egotism, sexual jealousy and aristocracy.
13. Why was the Duke unhappy with his first wife?
Ans. The Duke wanted from his first wife complete submissiveness. He wanted his wife to seal all her loyalty and gratitude exclusively for him. But contrary to his expectations, she misused the prestige of her elevated social status and was easily impressed by others and found joy in everything. All these things incurred the disgust and unhappiness in the Duke’s mind.
14. Why did not the Duke express his unhappiness and annoyance with the Duchess’ behaviour?
Ans. The Duke believed it beyond his dignity to address her trivial faults. He did not want to lose his aristocratic vanity as to tutor her mentioning her faults. He did not want to lose his aristocratic vanity as to tutor her mentioning her faults and criticizing her for her flaws meant ‘stooping’ for him, and this was against his egotistic nature.
15. “(Since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I)”-What does this parenthesis used by the Duke reveal?
Ans. The parenthesis used in these lines reveals the Duke’s sense of authoritarianism. Here he
emphasises upon the fact that only he has the power to unveil the portrait to display the painting.
16. ………. Sir, ’twas not
” Her husband’s presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek”- What does the Duke want to suggest here?
Ans. The spot of joy suggests the blush of joy on the countenance of the Duchess. The Duke reveals his dirty jealous mind here. He says that it was not only the presence of the Duke that brought that blush into the painted cheek but according to him Fra Pandolf’s courteous compliments were the reasons behind her blush.
17…… Such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought”
-What does the Duke mean by ‘such stuff’?
Ans. Here ‘such stuff refers to the instructions and flattering compliments of the famous painter Fra Pandolf. While depicting the reasons behind his wife’s blush, the Duke explains that not only his presence makes her blush but also the flattering comments of the painter made her blush out of joy when he said that he was unable to paint the soft rosy bloom that faded along her throat.
18. Why does the Duke hide the painting of his Duchess behind a curtain?
Ans. The Duke considers women as mere objects under his possession. He thinks the Duchess and the painting of her as well, his own property. After the death of his wife he keeps the portrait behind a curtain so that only he can regularise who will see his Duchess or not.
19.. ……..as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years old name With anybody’s gift”
-What does the Duke want to suggest here?
Ans. The Duke here points out a flaw in the character of the Duchess. He complains that his wife, the last Duchess appreciates his social status and pedigree as equally important to anyone else’s gift to her. This is a major crime in his eyes.
20. “Who’d stoop to blame / This sort of trifling”-What does the Duke want to convey here?
Ans. Through this rhetorical question, the Duke makes it clear that it is beyond his dignity to show the former Duchess her faults and flaws. He believes that criticizing someone to show the flaws is equal to ‘stooping’ and he could never ‘stoop’ or lower himself to argue with her about her behaviour.
21. How did the Duke treat his former wife and why did he dislike her?
Ans. The Duke treated his wife with authority as his personal property.
The former Duchess ranked his gift of a nine-hundred-years name with anybody else’s gift and used to smile at all and appreciate all equally. She was even easily impressed by others. So the Duke disliked his former wife.
22. What does the sculpture of Neptune symbolise?
Ans. The display of the sculpture of Neptune symbolises the Duke’s wealth and power and his toxic masculinity and oppressive nature on the other. It highlights the Duke’s longing for getting supreme control over his wife.
23. Who is Claus of Innsbruck?
Ans. Claus of Innsbruck, is the name of the sculptor who made the bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a sea-horse specially for the Duke.
24. What does the Duke call the painting?
Ans. While displaying the painting of his last Duchess, the Duke calls it a piece of wonder which was painted by the famous painter Fra Pandolf.
25. Whose smiles stopped together and why?
Ans. The smiles of the Duke’s former wife stopped together because the Duchess’ habit of smiling at all in equal manner incurred displeasure and disgust of the Duke.
26. Where did the Duke take the envoy to and why?
Ans. The Duke probably took the enjoy to upstairs to display his art collection including the portrait of his late wife and make the envoy aware of the Duke’s power and high status.
27. “Her mantle laps/over my lady’s wrist too much”-What does the Duke want to mean here?
Ans. When the painting of the Duchess was going on, the loose outer garment which was worn over her clothing extended down to the wrist and the painter probably pointed out this.
28. What does the Duke want to suggest when he says “her looks went everywhere”?
Ans. The Duke wants to suggest here that in spite of his presence his wife’s look went everywhere. She used to look constantly at other men and she was easily tempted by others. Thus he wants to suggest that the Duchess was unfaithful to him and might have multiple affairs.
29. Describe ‘My Last Duchess’ as a dramatic monologue.
Ans. In this poem there is a single speaker who adresses and unseen and silent listener. The Duke the only speaker provides here a detailed account of his late wife uninterruptedly and his words give insights into his own character. Thus we can conclude that ‘My Last Duchess is a fine specimen of dramatic monologue.
30. “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”-What does this staternent of the Duke reveal?
Ans. The disturbed and sexually jealous Duke could not digest the free frank nature and nobility of the Duchess and stopped all her smiles together by order. This suggests that the Duke killed the Duchess when he failed to gain mastery over her.
31. What is the primary aim of the poem?
Ans. The poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is a classic example of dramatic monologue and the primary aim of this poem is to unfold the character of the Duke.
32. Why does the Duke want to remarry?
Ans. The Duke out of sexual jealousy killed his former wife and so he opts for another marriage.
33. How does the Duke explain his cruel treatment to the Duchess?
Ans. According to the Duke, his wife lacked the sense of self dignity and status of his ancient pedigree. She could easily be impressed by small acts of courtesy done to her. She even used to appreciate all in the same way for their remarks and thanked all for the girfts presented to her. She used to smile to all. Thus the Duke tries to show that she was unfaithful to her husband and might have some affairs and hence deserved cruel treatment.
34. “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.”-What do you think happened to the Duchess from this statement of the Duke?
Ans. The Duke gave commands to stop all the smiles of the Duchess together. This statement is enough to make it clear that the Duke who had been suffering from sexual jealousy and egotism, must have given orders to kill his Duchess.
35. What was the envoy curious about?
Ans. When the Duke displayed the wonderful portrait of his last Duchess, the envoy noticed the deep and passionate glance on the countenance of the duchess. The beautiful blush on the cheek of the painting of the Duchess made the envoy curious to know the reason of the blush that came on her cheek.
36. “….. as if she ranked / My gift of nine-hundred-years old name With anybody’s gift.”-What does the Duke want to say here?
Ans. The Duke here tries to display a flaw in his wife’s nature that he thinks a serious one. His wife used to value his gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name just as much as she used to value a trivial gift from anybody else.
37. What is suggested in the last three lines of the poem?
Ans. Here the Duke instructs the envoy to see the bronze sculpture of Neptune taming a sea-horse. In the context of his proposed second marriage this sculpture is very significant. It bears the implication that the Duke is fond of dominating and controlling his wife and is going to tame his proposed wife without showing any mercy.
38. What does the word ‘My’ suggest in the title ‘My Last Duchess’?
Ans. In the title ‘My Last Duchess’ the word ‘My’ suggests that the speaker of the poem is possessive and it also gives us hint that the poem will be in the first person. The possessive pronoun ‘My’ implies that the Duke establishes control from the very beginning.
39. What does the words ‘Last’ suggest in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
Ans. The word ‘Last’ in the title of the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ suggests that the Duke had several Duchesses and this Duchess is one of them.
40. “I call / That piece a wonder”-What does this line reflect?
Ans. Here the Duke refers to the portrait of his dead wife. The use of the words ‘That’ and ‘piece’
reflects that the Duke does not have any soft sentiment for his dead wife. He views his wife
as an object and she is only a possession to him.
41. “……. and cause enough / For calling up that spot of joy”-What does ‘that spot of joy’ suggest?
Ans. The phrase ‘spot of joy’ refers to the ‘blush’ that could be seen on the Duchess’ cheek. This ‘spot of joy’ suggests that the Duchess could easily be impressed by any compliment or courtesy. The use of the word ‘that’ bears a subtle hint of the speaker’s disdainful jealousy.
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