Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guides for Robert Browning’s My last Duchess: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester III syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
A Duke in Italy shows a visitor a painting of his former wife, the Duchess. The portrait is very realistic, making her look as if she is still alive. The Duke keeps this painting behind a curtain, and only he decides who gets to see it. He tells the visitor that he controls who looks at her image now.
The Duke explains that the Duchess had a happy and friendly nature. He describes a blush on her cheek in the painting, which he calls a “spot of joy.” He says she was easily pleased by simple things. She would smile at a pretty sunset, a branch of cherries given to her, or a ride on her white mule. She was kind and thankful to everyone, not just to him.
This made the Duke very upset. He was a proud man with a very old and important family name. He felt that his wife should have valued his love and status above all else. He believed she treated his affection the same as any small, everyday kindness. The Duke felt it was beneath him to correct her behavior. Instead, he says he “gave commands,” and after that, all her smiles stopped forever, suggesting he had her killed.
The Duke is speaking to the visitor because he is arranging a new marriage with a Count’s daughter. As they prepare to leave the room, the Duke points out another of his art pieces. It is a bronze statue of the sea god Neptune taming a sea-horse. This statue is a symbol. The Duke sees himself as the powerful Neptune, a master who controls everything and everyone, just as he controlled his last wife.
Line-by-Line Explanation
FERRARA
This single word sets the location of the poem. Ferrara is a city in Italy that was ruled by a powerful Duke during the Renaissance, a period known for its art and political intrigue. The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara.
That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive.
The Duke begins his monologue by pointing to a portrait of his previous, now deceased, wife. He immediately comments on how realistic the painting is, making it seem as if she is still living. This introduces the idea of life versus art.
I call / That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands / Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
The Duke expresses his admiration for the painting, calling it a “wonder.” He names the painter, “Fra Pandolf,” which suggests the artist is well-known and adds to the value of the artwork. By saying “there she stands,” he speaks of the painting as if it were the actual person, blurring the line between the woman and the object he now possesses.
Will ‘t please you sit and look at her?
The Duke politely asks his guest to sit and view the painting. This is a command disguised as a question, showing that the Duke is in control of the situation and is directing his visitor’s actions. We learn here that the Duke is not speaking to himself; he has an audience.
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
The Duke explains that he mentioned the painter’s name on purpose (“by design”). He says that whenever visitors see the intense and passionate expression (“countenance” and “glance”) on the painted face of the Duchess, they always turn to look at him, the Duke.
…(since none puts by / The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
This is a critical detail revealed in parentheses. The painting is kept hidden behind a curtain, and only the Duke has the authority to pull it aside. This action shows his extreme possessiveness and his desire to control who is allowed to see his late wife’s image.
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, / How such a glance came there; so, not the first / Are you to turn and ask thus.
The Duke continues, saying that visitors look as though they want to ask him how the Duchess came to have such a look on her face, but they never dared (“durst”) to actually ask. He assumes his current guest has the same unspoken question, treating it as if the guest has already asked.
Sir, ’twas not / Her husband’s presence only, called that spot / Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek:
The Duke starts to answer the question he assumes was asked. He states that the happy blush (“spot of joy”) on his wife’s cheek was not caused only by his presence. This is the first clear sign of his jealousy and dissatisfaction with her.
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:”
The Duke speculates on what might have made the Duchess blush. He imagines the painter, Fra Pandolf, making a simple, polite comment, perhaps about adjusting her cloak (“mantle”) or giving her a compliment about the lovely, faint blush on her neck that would be difficult to capture in a painting.
Such stuff. / Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough / For calling up that spot of joy.
The Duke dismissively refers to these imagined compliments as “Such stuff.” He complains that his wife considered simple politeness (“courtesy”) to be a sufficient reason to blush with happiness. His words show his annoyance that she could be pleased by something so ordinary.
She had / A heart-how shall I say? too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed;
The Duke pauses, pretending to search for the right words, which is a way of making his criticism sound more considered than it is. He accuses her of having a heart that was pleased too quickly and was impressed by things too easily.
she liked whate’er / She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Here, his complaint becomes more direct. He claims that she enjoyed everything she saw, and that her friendly gaze was not reserved for him but was given freely to everyone and everything around her.
Sir, ’twas all one! My 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
The Duke exclaims that, to her, everything was the same. A special gift of jewelry from him (“my favour”), a beautiful sunset, a branch of cherries given to her by some meddling (“officious”) person, or the white mule she rode on—she valued them all equally.
She rode with round the terrace-all and each / Would draw from her alike the approving speech, / Or blush, at least.
He continues his list of grievances, explaining that every person and every thing she encountered received the same happy reaction from her, whether it was a kind word or a simple blush.
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.
The Duke says that while it was proper for her to thank people, he hated the way she did it. He felt that she treated his gift of marriage, which included his ancient and noble family name, as if it had no more value than a small present from an ordinary person. This reveals his immense pride and arrogance.
Who’d stoop to blame / This sort of trifling?
The Duke asks a question to which he already knows the answer. He suggests that a man of his high social standing could not possibly lower himself (“stoop”) to correct his wife over such minor issues (“trifling”).
Even had you skill / In speech-(which I have not) – to make your will / Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this / Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, / Or there exceed the mark”
He falsely claims that he lacks the ability with words (“skill in speech”) to explain his feelings to her. This is ironic, as he is speaking very effectively to his guest. He imagines telling her precisely which of her actions disgusted him or fell short of his expectations.
— 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.
He argues that even if he had tried to teach her how to behave, and even if she had accepted his criticism without arguing back, the very act of having that conversation would have been beneath him. He declares that he would never lower himself in such a way, showing how his pride prevented any communication.
Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, / Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without / Much the same smile?
He acknowledges that she did smile at him whenever he went by, but he immediately complains that she gave that exact same smile to anyone else who happened to pass. He was angered by her failure to reserve a special smile just for him.
This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.
These are the most chilling lines in the poem. The Duke states that her behavior (“This”) continued and worsened, so he “gave commands.” The direct result was that her smiles stopped forever. The clear implication is that he ordered her to be killed.
There she stands / As if alive.
The Duke turns his attention back to the painting and repeats a phrase from the beginning of the poem. This time, the words have a dark and sinister meaning. She only appears to be alive in the portrait. In reality, she is dead, and he now has her exactly as he wants her: as a beautiful, silent object that he can completely control.
Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet / The company below, then.
The Duke suddenly changes the subject and ends his story. He tells his guest it is time to stand up and go downstairs to join the others. This abrupt shift shows his cold, calculating nature, moving from a confession of murder to social pleasantries without any change in his manner.
I repeat, / The Count your master’s known munificence / Is ample warrant that no just pretence / Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
The Duke now reveals why the guest is there. The guest is a representative sent by a Count to arrange a marriage between the Duke and the Count’s daughter. The Duke states that he is confident the Count’s famous generosity (“munificence”) will ensure that his demands for a large dowry (a payment from the bride’s family) will be accepted.
Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed / At starting, is my object.
The Duke adds, almost as an afterthought, that his main interest (“object”) is, of course, the Count’s daughter herself. His choice of the word “object” is very revealing, as it shows he views his future wife as a possession, much like he views the painting of his last wife.
Nay, we’ll go / Together down, sir.
The Duke insists that he and the guest walk downstairs side-by-side. This is another subtle assertion of his control, directing even the smallest movements of his visitor.
Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, / Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!.
As they are leaving, the Duke points out another piece of art, a bronze statue of the Roman sea god, Neptune, forcefully controlling a sea-horse. He casually mentions that it is a rare piece made for him by another famous artist. This final image serves as a powerful symbol for the Duke himself—a powerful figure who “tames” what he sees as wild or disobedient, just as he did with his last Duchess. It is a veiled threat and a warning to the Count about what he will expect from his next wife.
Textbook solutions
1. What type of a lady was the Duchess?
Answer: The Duchess was a lady who had a heart that was too soon made glad and too easily impressed. She was courteous and liked whatever she looked on, and her looks went everywhere. To her, it was all one, whether it was the Duke’s favour, the sunset, a bough of cherries given to her by a fool, or the white mule she rode. She would give an approving speech or at least a blush for each of these things. She thanked men in a way that seemed to rank the Duke’s gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name with anybody’s gift. She smiled at everyone who passed her, not just her husband.
2. What characteristic trait of the Duke’s character can be discerned when he refers to the bronze statue of Neptune?
Answer: When the Duke refers to the bronze statue of Neptune, it shows his pride, possessiveness, and his view of himself as a powerful controller. He points out that the statue is a rarity and that it was made specifically for him by Claus of Innsbruck, which shows he is a proud collector of art and wealth. The image of the god Neptune taming a sea-horse is also a reflection of the Duke’s own personality. He sees himself as a powerful figure who tames and controls others, just as he did with his last Duchess.
3. Analyse My Last Duchess as a dramatic monologue?
Answer: A dramatic monologue is a type of poem where a single character, who is not the poet, speaks to a silent listener. Through this speech, the speaker reveals their own personality and the situation they are in, often without meaning to. My Last Duchess is a perfect example of a dramatic monologue.
The poem features a single speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, who speaks throughout the entire poem. He is addressing a silent listener, who is an envoy from a Count. We know the listener is there because the Duke says things like, Will ‘t please you sit and look at her? and The Count your master’s known munificence.
The Duke speaks at a critical moment, as he is negotiating the dowry for his next marriage to the Count’s daughter. While his main purpose is to discuss the marriage, he uses the story of his last Duchess to reveal his own character. He unintentionally shows that he is arrogant, jealous, and extremely controlling. For instance, he boasts about his nine-hundred-years-old name and the fact that only he can draw the curtain to show the Duchess’s portrait. He reveals his cruelty when he says, I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together, which suggests he had her killed. In this way, the poem fits the structure of a dramatic monologue by using one speaker’s words to paint a clear picture of his sinister nature.
4. How is power syndrome conveyed in My Last Duchess?
Answer: The Duke’s power syndrome, or his obsession with control and dominance, is conveyed in several ways throughout the poem.
First, he shows his power by controlling his late wife’s portrait. He says that no one puts by the curtain he has drawn except for him. This shows that even after her death, he must have complete control over who sees her image and her smile.
Second, his pride in his nine-hundred-years-old name shows his belief in his superior status. He was disgusted that the Duchess did not value his name more than any other simple gift. He felt his power and status should have been her only focus.
Third, his refusal to correct her behaviour shows his arrogance. He says that even if he had the skill in speech to tell her what disgusted him, doing so would be stooping, and he chooses never to stoop. He believes his authority is so absolute that his wife should have understood his wishes without him having to explain them.
Fourth, the most chilling display of his power is when he says, I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. This line implies that he used his ultimate power to have her killed simply because her friendly nature displeased him.
Finally, the Duke treats people like objects in his collection. He talks about his last Duchess as a piece of art, and at the end of the poem, he points out another art object, a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse, which was made for him. This shows he sees both his wives and his art as possessions that demonstrate his power and wealth.
Additional Questions and Answers
1. Who is the speaker in the poem? To whom is he speaking?
Answer: The speaker in the poem is the Duke of Ferrara, a powerful nobleman.
He is speaking to an envoy, who is a representative sent by a Count. This envoy is visiting the Duke to negotiate the marriage of the Count’s daughter to the Duke, making the conversation a subtle warning and a display of power.
2. Who was Fra Pandolf? What did he create for the Duke?
Answer: Fra Pandolf was a painter, likely a friar, who was commissioned by the Duke.
He created the lifelike portrait of the Duke’s last Duchess that now hangs on the wall. The Duke mentions that Fra Pandolf’s hands worked busily for a day to create the painting, which he now describes as a wonder.
3. Why does the Duke say he mentioned “Fra Pandolf” by design?
Answer: The Duke says he mentioned the painter’s name, Fra Pandolf, by design, meaning he did it on purpose. He explains that all strangers who see the portrait are struck by the depth and passion of the Duchess’s glance and seem as if they want to ask how such an expression came to be there, so he preemptively brings up the artist’s name.
4. What does the Duke control with a curtain? What does this action reveal?
Answer: The Duke controls the viewing of the portrait of his last Duchess with a curtain that he alone is permitted to draw.
This action reveals his possessive and controlling nature. Now that she is dead, he has complete power over who can see her and her smile, something he could not control when she was alive, showing his desire for absolute authority.
5. What question did other strangers want to ask the Duke about the portrait?
Answer: Other strangers who saw the portrait of the Duchess seemed as though they wanted to ask the Duke how the passionate and earnest glance on her face came to be there. The Duke notes that they looked as if they would ask him this question, if they dared, but were too intimidated to do so.
6. What was the “spot of joy” on the Duchess’s cheek?
Answer: The spot of joy on the Duchess’s cheek was a blush, which the Duke describes as a faint half-flush that dies along her throat. He states that this blush was not caused only by her husband’s presence but could be brought on by any simple courtesy or compliment, which he found irritating.
7. What two things does the Duke suggest Fra Pandolf might have said to the Duchess?
Answer: The Duke suggests two possible polite remarks that the painter, Fra Pandolf, might have made to the Duchess. The first was that her mantle, or cloak, was covering her wrist too much.
The second possible remark was a compliment that paint could never hope to reproduce the faint half-flush that was on her throat. The Duke dismisses these potential comments as such stuff.
8. How did the Duchess react to compliments, according to the Duke?
Answer: According to the Duke, the Duchess reacted to any compliment or simple courtesy with a blush, which he calls a spot of joy. He complains that she had a heart that was too soon made glad and was too easily impressed, meaning she showed pleasure too readily for his liking.
9. What does the Duke mean by the Duchess’s heart being “too soon made glad”?
Answer: When the Duke says the Duchess’s heart was too soon made glad, he is criticizing her for being easily pleased by simple things. He felt that she found joy in everything she looked at and did not properly value his important status and gifts over common, everyday pleasures, which he interpreted as a lack of respect for him.
10. List four things that the Duchess appreciated equally, much to the Duke’s annoyance.
Answer: The Duke lists four things that his last Duchess seemed to appreciate equally, which annoyed him because he felt his gifts should have been valued more. These are:
(i) His favour at her breast, which was a piece of jewelry he gave her.
(ii) The dropping of the daylight in the West, or the sunset.
(iii) A bough of cherries given to her by someone in the orchard.
(iv) The white mule she rode on the terrace.
36. Discuss the symbolic importance of the two works of art the Duke mentions: the portrait and the bronze statue.
Answer: The two works of art mentioned by the Duke are rich with symbolic meaning that reveals his character and themes of the poem. The portrait of the last Duchess is a powerful symbol of male possession and the objectification of women. In life, the Duchess was a vibrant person whose spirit the Duke could not control. In death, she is reduced to an image on a wall, “looking as if she were alive,” but she is now an object he completely owns. The curtain he keeps over the painting symbolizes his absolute control; he alone decides who can look upon her. The portrait represents his success in silencing her and turning her into a permanent, manageable part of his collection.
The bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse, which the Duke points out at the end, is a symbol of his own self-image and his belief in his right to dominate. The Duke sees himself in Neptune, the powerful god of the sea. The beautiful but wild sea-horse represents the Duchess, whose free spirit he needed to “tame.” The act of taming is a metaphor for his own actions in controlling and ultimately eliminating his wife. By highlighting this statue, the Duke is symbolically declaring his own god-like power and reinforcing the warning that he will dominate and control what he believes is his.
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