My Last Duchess Robert Browning 1845

My Last DuchessRobert Browning 1845

My Last Duchess – Robert Browning • This poem is a Dramatic Monologue. • A dramatic monologue presents a moment in which the main character of the poem discusses a topic and, in so doing, also reveals his personal feelingsto a listener. • Only the main character, called the speaker, talks – hence the term monologue, meaning single (mono) speaker who presents spoken or written discourse (logue).

My Last Duchess – Robert Browning • During his discourse, the speaker makes comments that reveal information about his personality and psyche, knowingly or unknowingly. • The main focus of a dramatic monologue is this personal information, not the topic which the speaker happens to be discussing.

My Last Duchess – Robert Browning • In this poem, Browning creates a character of chilling coldness and cruelty. • The speaker is a Duke who is conducting negotiations for a bride, a new duchess. • He is talking with the representative of his potential father in law. The envoy is a lesser man who does not have the Duke’s money or charisma, and the Duke knows it.

My Last Duchess – Robert Browning • The Duke takes the envoy around his home to show off his art collection, including a portrait of his late wife, the Last Duchess. • Almost casually, the Duke shows him the picture of the ‘last’ duchess and reveals what happened to her.

You are now going to watch a performance of the poem. • As you watch the performance, think carefully about the impression we are given of the Duke and try to work out what you think happened to his Last Duchess. • Once you have watched the clip and read the poem, you are going to answer some questions on the poem and then try to put a summary of the poem into the correct order.

Ferrara That’s my last duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands.

Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, 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 summed as they would ask me, if they durst Are you to turn and ask thus. Sit, ‘twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: perhaps

Fra Pandolf chanced to say ‘Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much’, or ‘Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat:’ such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had

A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.

Sir, ‘twas all one! May favour at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the West, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode with round the terrace – all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech,

Or blush, at least. She thanked men, - good! but thanked – Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling? Even had you skill In speech - (which I have not) – to make your will

Quite clear to such a one, and say, ‘Just this ‘Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, ‘Or there exceed the mark’ – and if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth and made excuse, - E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose

Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet

The company below, then. I repeat, The Count your master’s known munificence Is ample warrant that just no pretence Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Through his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed

As starting, is my object. Nay we’ll go Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me. Robert Browning

Questions • Who is the Duke of Ferrara talking to in the poem? 2) Why is his guest visiting the Duke of Ferrara? 3) Who painted the picture of the Duke’s late wife? 4) Find clues about how the Duke feels about the picture of his last Duchess. 5) What impression of the Last Duchess do you get from the poem? Find clues which tell you about the personality of the woman.

Questions • The Duke was not entirely pleased with his late wife, the Last Duchess. Explain why and what he did about it. • What does the Duke say about how people react to the portrait? • What do you think Browning used enjambment in this poem – what effect was he trying to achieve? • What impression do we get of the character of the Duke? • What are the poem’s themes?

Now work in pairs to sort the summary of the poem into the right order.

Summary - Correct Order

I have a very lifelike painting of my previous wife on my wall. Why don’t you sit and have a look. • No one else is allowed to open the curtain covering on the painting to look at my wife’s face. • The picture shows her blushing and she would blush at more than just my attention. • I think she felt flattered by men too easily. • I think she looked at other men too much. • She was interested in silly things and gave her praise easily when she should have only been praising me. • I have a long and noble family history. But she thought that this was only as important as any other ‘gift’ she received. • I never really knew how to tell her that I was unhappy with the way she behaved. • Telling her that I didn’t like the way she behaved was beneath me. • She would always smile when I walked past her. But she would also smile at everyone else. • Her bad behaviour continued to get worse. • I gave the orders and then she never smiled again. • I understand that your master has sent you to find out if I am willing to marry his daughter. • We’ll go together to meet your master to discuss the dowry. • Have a look at my statue of Neptune, a Roman god, taming a wild sea-horse. Nice, isn’t it?

Now you are going to annotate your copy of the poem.

The Duke of Ferrara was a real historical person Immediate sense of him owning his previous wife. Ferrara That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now: Implies he was less satisfied when she was alive. She has become merely a ‘piece’ of art.

Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said ‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, The name of the artist. Verb implies she is alive. Question to the envoy who has been sent by a count who wishes the Duke to marry his daughter.

for never read Strangers like you that pictured her countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, Powerful and emotive language. Highlights how strongly he believes no one but a husband should see such feeling in her eyes.

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; Sinister aside in brackets. She doesn’t look at anyone else with those passionate eyes because he doesn’t allow anyone else to look at the picture. Durst = dare to.

so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ‘twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek: It was not just the Duke who looked at her and made her blush. ‘Spot of joy’ = blushing.

perhaps Fra Pandolf chanced to say ‘Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much,’ or ‘Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat:’ Speech marks indicate Duke is imagining the compliments the artist paid the Duchess. Mantle = shawl.

such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; Punctuation indicates Duke is searching for polite way of expressing his discontent at her behaviour. Repetition highlights how he feels she was too easily pleased.

she liked whate’er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Sir, ‘twas all one! My favour at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the West, Exclamation mark shows his anger that she took as much pleasure in him as in everything else. She took pleasure in everything she saw. His attention to her. Sunset, image ironically made more beautiful by use of alliteration.

The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode around the terrace – all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, Or blush, at least. Officious = giving service that isn’t wanted, doing more than is required. Bough = bunch Mule = horse / donkey cross. She blushes and thanks everyone and everything.

She thanked men, - good! but thanked – Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame This sort of trifling? Dashes indicate again his displeasure and incredulity at her behaviour. He comes from an ancient and noble family. She should be honoured to be married to him. Stoop = to bend down; he feels he would have to lower himself to tolerate her overly friendly actions.

Even had you skill In speech – (which I have not) – to make your will Quite clear to such a one, and say, ‘Just this Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, Or there exceed the mark’ Yet narrative has so far demonstrated he IS a skilled speaker. Strong emotional reaction. Speech marks indicate the direct instructions he might have tried to give her.

– and if she let Herself be lessoned so, not plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth and made excuse, E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop. If she was prepared to be taught the correct way for a Duchess to behave. Repetition of same word from line 34 reinforces how he feels it would be beneath him to try and correct her.

Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. Rhetorical question – the envoy is not expected to respond or try to justify the Duchess’ actions. Semi colons separate short, powerful clauses. Alliteration highlights calm and chilling way he discusses her death.

There she stands As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet The company below, then. Reinforces that she once was alive, and is now dead solely at his instruction. As in line 5, the polite invitation is actually a command.

I repeat, The Count your master’s known munificence Is ample warrant that no just pretence Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed At starting, is my object. Extreme generosity. He won’t pretend he isn’t persuaded by the money. Dowry = the amount paid by the bride’s family to the groom. Though he maintains he is far more persuaded by the beauty of the girl herself. He made his last wife into an ‘object’.

Nay, we’ll go Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me. Powerful god of the sea. Verb implies dominance and control. Another ‘object’ that he had made, like his last wife.

My Last Duchess Robert Browning 1845