1. Read the poem. Does it now make sense?
On EastEnders this week …
Phil ‘The Duke’ Mitchell liaises with an associate! In his discussion he reveals a dirty secret…
While he chats to the unnamed associate he is happy to show off the portrait of his late wife, done by the famous Hello Photographer ‘Fra(nk) Pandolf’ he praises his wife’s beauty seemingly happy that she is dead and can now be controlled…
He reveals that she often gave her smiles and looks away too easily … There was only really one solution – she had to ‘disappear’!
Let’s hope that his new bride will behave herself – she needs to remember her place! She is his property after all.
Starter:
Read the poem. Does it now make sense?

2. My Last Duchess Robert Browning
Aim:
Can I explore how Browning uses language and structure to portray the Duke’s character, in relation to the Duchess?
Starter:
What kind of person would live in a house like this?

3. My Last Duchess Robert Browning Starter:
What does this suggest about the speaker?
What does this suggest?
Who is the speaker?
Starter:
Annotate the title in your anthologies.
Aim:
Can I develop my understanding of how Browning uses language and structure to portray the Duke’s character?

4. Details:
Browning first published poem under the title "I. Italy" in 1842 in Dramatic Lyrics, a collection of sixteen Browning poems.
Browning changed the title of the poem to "My Last Duchess" before republishing it in 1849 in another collection, Dramatic Romances and Lyrics.
Remember this fact. When you read the poem later think about the significance of the change in title. What difference would this make?

5. My Last Duchess What are curtains used for?
What do they enable you to do?
What is a portrait for?

6. Ferrara, Italy

7. Context: My Last Duchess
This poem is loosely based on historical events.
The persona is Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara, in the 16th Century.
He married Lucrezia de Medici when she was 14 years old.
She dies three years later, possibly having been poisoned.

8. My Last Duchess What form does the poem take?
What is your impression of the tone of the poem?
Dramatic Monologue

9. My Last Duchess
What is your initial impression of the Duke of Ferrara?
What do you think it was like being married to him?
What might he have thought when marrying her?
Does it sound like a good relationship?

10. Task Cards Death/Violence Body/Actions
Identify all of the words that link to death/violence
What do they reveal about the Duke?
Which phrase shows the Duke had the Duchess killed?
Body/Actions
Identify all of the words linked with body parts or actions
What themes emerge?
What do these words reveal?
Pronouns/Names
Create a tally chart of all the pronouns in MLD
Who else features in the MLD? List them and explain who they are.
What does this tell you?
Rhythm
Look at the last words of every line – what do you notice?
Read each line aloud in turns – how many beats are in each line?
Why is the monologue structured in this way?
Vocabulary/Words: You may need a dictionary!
Identify all of the words that are difficult/you don’t know the meaning of
Find the meaning
Why are they used by Browning?
Imagery
Identify all of the images created
Draw them to create a simple storyboard for the MLD (It does not have to be arty/amazing)!

11. My Last Duchess - Structure
Can you spot the three main structural techniques in the poem?
Rhyming couplets, iambic pentameter & enjambment
Look at the sentence lengths, what do you notice?
What happens on line 46 – 47? How is tension built?

12. My Last Duchess
How does Browning use language and structure to portray the Duke’s personality, as seen in his relationship with the Duchess?

13. My Last Duchess - Plenary
How has Browning used language and structure to portray the Duke’s character?
How is dramatic monologue important to show his personality?
What are the qualities of the Duchess? How do these compare to the Duke?
What does he reveal about her as the poem progresses?