What flaw does the Duke identify in his last duchess?
The duke is upset that everything pleases the duchess. She is too innocent and too generous with her approval and too easily impressed. He later says that her holding any kindness in equal standing with his affection and his gifts “disgusts” him, though he refuses to “stoop” to tell the duchess why he is upset.
What examples of this flaw are mentioned by the Duke?
It is revealed that the Duke believes the biggest flaw of the Duchess was her sociable presence, which to him, was flirtatious. In fact, her flirtatious tendencies are described by the Duke as such, “’twas not/ Her husband’s presence only, called that spot/ Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek…” (13-15).
Why was the Duke dissatisfied with his last duchess?
Ans- The Duke was dissatisfied with his last Duchess because he thought that she was not completed focused on him and was flirting with other people. The Duchess would smile at other people but the Duke wanted complete control and was jealous when the Duchess was friendly towards other people.
What does the Duke reveal about himself through his speech?
Through the use of symbols, the Duke reveals himself to be a man who desires total and complete power and submission from those around him.
What is the irony in the poem My Last Duchess?
Irony Examples in My Last Duchess: Browning utilizes a poetic device called verbal irony in this selection to demonstrate how the Duke conveys a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning of the phrase. In this case, the narrator implies that he did not like these attributes of his last Duchess.
How did the Duke describe his deceased wife?
The Duke: Browning reveals the Duke’s character through the words the man uses to describe his deceased wife. The audience learns that the Duke is cruel, jealous, proud, and arrogant. He suggests that he has killed his wife because she was not grateful enough to him for marrying her.
What does Duke say about dowry?
Near the end of the monologue he says, “I repeat, / The Count your master’s known munificence / Is ample warrant that no just pretence / Of mine for dowry will be disallowed.” So he is repeating what he has already told this man, showing that the dowry was uppermost in his mind.
Why does the Duke hide the Duchess painting behind a curtain?
Eventually, “I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together.” This could be interpreted as either the Duke had given commands to the Duchess to stop smiling, or commands for her to be killed. He now keeps her painting hidden behind a curtain that only he is allowed to draw back, thus now she only smiles for him.
Why was the Duke unhappy with his first wife?
In the poem, the duke was unhappy with his wife for a number of reasons. First of all, in lines 14–15, the duke says that his wife often blushed at others. Ans- The Duke was dissatisfied with his last Duchess because he thought that she was not completed focused on him and was flirting with other people.
Who passed without Much the same smile?
Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 40 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.
What prompted the Duke to command a stop on the Duchess smile altogether?
Explanation: The Duke states that “this grew”, which means the Duchess’s arbitrary compassion and admiration of all grew more intense. “gave commands and all smiles stopped together” might probably mean that he ordered his men to kill the Duchess because she was being more humble to others.
Who d stoop to blame?
“My Last Duchess” is a poem by British poet Robert Browning. In the poem, written as one half of a conversation, the speaker discusses his late first wife. The speaker appears to have been jealous of his wife’s attention, and the reader can infer that the speaker is responsible for his wife’s death.
Who is FRA pandolf?
Fra Pandolf is not a real artist but a fictitous creation of Browning, as was “Claus of Innsbruck,” named in the last line of the poem. However, from the way the Duke mentions the name of Fra Pandolf it is obvious that the artist is supposed to be famous and his works highly valued.
What does the Duke mean by the dropping of daylight in the West?
sunset
How does the Duke control the Duchess even in death?
In the case of the Duchess the Duke controlled when she died, who sees her portrait, and how she will be portrayed to those who come after her. The Duke uses his voice to gain power and control over his life and the lives of others, as he uses an entire monologue to express his sentiments and opinions.
Is My Last Duchess based on a true story?
This poem is set in 1564 and is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara, Italy in the latter half of the 16th century. In the poem, he’s talking about his first wife Lucrezia de’ Medici, who died under suspicious circumstances shortly after marrying the Duke.
Why does the Duke most likely point out his statue of Neptune taming a sea horse to his visitor?
The statue of Neptune taming a seahorse symbolizes the Duke’s persona. The Duke boasts of his aggression toward his dead wife in an effort to gain complete mastery over her most simple pleasures. His reference to the statue of Neptune emphasizes his hunger for mastery over all of the things around him.
Did the Duke kill the duchess?
In the poem “My Last Duchess” the Duke of Ferrara has killed his wife because he believes that she has been unfaithful to him. This leaves us with only the Duke’s reasoning as to why he would kill his wife: simply because she didn’t obey him as he demanded of his Duchess.
What does the statue depict that the Duke references at the poem’s conclusion?
What does the statue depict that the Duke references at the poem’s conclusion? The statue of Neptune taming a seahorse symbolizes the Duke’s persona. The Duke boasts of his aggression toward his dead wife in an effort to gain complete mastery over her most simple pleasures.
Who is the listener in My Last Duchess?
The only speaker is the Duke of Ferrara. The listener, who, offstage, asks about the smile of the last duchess in the portrait, is silent during the entire poem. The listener is the emissary of a count and is helping to negotiate a marriage between the count’s daughter and the duke.
Who is the listener in Porphyria’s Lover?
_______________ is the “unseen listener” in “Porphyria’s Lover.” Who is the “unseen listener” in “My Last Duchess?” Why is this significant? The unseen listener is the guest which the Duke is showing his former wife’s portrait to. This is significant because this is an individual that the Duke is trying to impress.
What is the meaning of last duchess?
My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue set in Renaissance Italy (early 16th century) and conveys the opinions of a wealthy noble man as he shows a marriage broker, an emissary, a painting of his late wife, ‘my last duchess’.
What is the message of Porphyria’s Lover?
Some possible themes of “Porphyria’s Lover” include the objectification of women and the hypocrisy of sexual women versus sexual men. The lover objectifies Porphyria by only describing her physically-attractive characteristics and using possessive terms for them.