Learning Objectives: To understand ‘My Last Duchess’ To develop strategies to memorise quotations

Imagine this scene… A stately home A rich, devastatingly handsome Duke, flowing dark hair, bright blue eyes, a velvet jacket, an ornately embroidered waistcoat with gold buttons, a walking cane adorned with jewels. An envoy (a messenger) – a man sent to meet the Duke – a lesser man, smartly dressed but does not have the Duke’s money or charisma and the Duke knows it. The Duke takes the envoy around his home to show off his art collection, including a portrait of his late wife, the ‘Last Duchess’.

Questions How will the Duke speak to the envoy? Consider not only what he might say but how he might say it. How might the Duke move around the home? How might the Duke look at the envoy?

My Last Duchess In this poem, Browning creates a character of chilling coldness and cruelty. The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara who is conducting negotiations for a bride; a new duchess. He is talking to the representative of his potential father in law – the envoy. Almost casually, he shows him the painting of the ‘last duchess’ who he killed because she displeased him when he could not control her.

Form and structure: The poem is a DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE. It is written in rhyming couplets, but there is a lot of enjambment used

Questions: – answer in full sentences and support with evidence from the poem Look at the title of the poem. What can you infer from the three words chosen by Browning? Who painted the picture of the Duke’s late wife? The Duke was not entirely pleased with his late wife, the Last Duchess. Explain why and what he did about it. What impression of the Last Duchess do you get from the poem? What impression do we get of the character of the Duke?

Extension Questions: At line 32, the Duke refers to the gift he gave his wife. What is his complaint regarding the way she accepted it? Analyse the Duke’s complaints about his wife, and work out whether they are well-founded. How does the Duke talk about the next Duchess? Identify the aspects of his next marriage which interest him, and any areas which he does not enquire about. What do the omissions indicate about his feelings towards his future wife? The Duke refers to his works of art by the names of the artists. What does this reveal about his true attitude to art and, by extension, marriage? Why do you think Browning used enjambment in this poem – what effect did he try to achieve? Why is this poem in the power and conflict section?

Learning Quotations You will need to learn quotations from the poems off by heart for the exam. Choose three quotations from “My Last Duchess” that you think are significant, could be useful to analyse, and that you think you can memorise. Share the lines you have chosen with the person next to you. Did you choose the same quotations?

Learning Quotations When you use a quotation, you must reproduce it accurately, including the punctuation marks and capital letters. You must also place the quotation in speech marks. How will you learn your three quotations off by heart? Discuss strategies with your partner. Now spend 5 minutes trying to memorise your quotations.

Plenary Write down your three memorised quotations on a post-it. Accurate?? If so, keep to fix on your revision sheet!