Read Bengali Meaning of My Last Duchess Here
1. Who is the speaker in the poem “My Last Duchess”?Answer: The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara, a proud and possessive Renaissance nobleman.
2. Who is the listener in the poem?
Answer: The listener is the envoy (representative) of a Count, who has come to negotiate the Duke’s next marriage.
3. What kind of poem is “My Last Duchess”?
Answer: It is a dramatic monologue, where a single speaker reveals his character indirectly through speech.
4. What is the setting of the poem?
Answer: The poem is set in the Duke’s palace in Ferrara, Italy.
5. What does the Duke show the envoy?
Answer: The Duke shows him a portrait (painting) of his last Duchess on the wall.
6. Who painted the portrait of the Duchess?
Answer: The portrait was painted by Fra Pandolf, a famous artist-monk.
7. What does the Duke say about Fra Pandolf’s hands?
Answer: He says “Fra Pandolf’s hands worked busily a day,” meaning the artist painted the portrait in a single day.
8. What was the Duchess’s fault according to the Duke?
Answer: The Duchess was too easily pleased and smiled at everyone, not valuing the Duke’s special favor.
9. What made the Duke jealous?
Answer: The Duchess treated everyone equally, smiling at all with the same warmth, which hurt the Duke’s pride.
10. What does “spot of joy” refer to?
Answer: It refers to the blush on the Duchess’s cheek, which appeared when she was praised by Fra Pandolf.
11. What does the Duke mean by “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together”?
Answer: It suggests that the Duke ordered the Duchess to be killed or silenced because of her behavior.
12. What does the portrait symbolize?
Answer: It symbolizes the Duke’s control and possession over the Duchess — even in death, she is his property.
13. How does the Duke control access to the portrait?
Answer: He keeps it behind a curtain, which only he can draw, showing his possessive nature.
14. What does the Duke value more: love or power?
Answer: The Duke values power, pride, and control more than genuine love.
15. What is the Duke negotiating at the end of the poem?
Answer: He is negotiating a new marriage with the Count’s daughter.
16. What does the Duke mean by “my gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name”?
Answer: He is proud of his ancient noble lineage, considering his name a valuable gift to any bride.
17. What does the Duke reveal about his character through the poem?
Answer: He reveals that he is arrogant, possessive, jealous, and cruel.
18. Why is the poem titled “My Last Duchess”?
Answer: The title reflects the Duke’s ownership (“My”) and that the Duchess is no longer alive (“Last”).
19. What is the tone of the poem?
Answer: The tone is cold, ironic, and arrogant, reflecting the Duke’s pride and lack of remorse.
20. What literary form and rhyme scheme are used in the poem?
Answer: The poem is written in rhymed heroic couplets (AABB) using iambic pentameter.
21. What is the main theme of “My Last Duchess”?
Answer: The main theme is the corrupting power of pride, jealousy, and the objectification of women.
22. What does the Duke’s reference to Neptune and the sea-horse at the end signify?
Answer: It symbolizes the Duke’s love of control and domination, just as Neptune tames the sea-horse.
23. What is meant by “as if she ranked my gift...with anybody’s gift”?
Answer: The Duke complains that the Duchess valued his noble title no more than small favors from others.
24. How does Browning use irony in the poem?
Answer: The Duke intends to show his power, but ironically reveals his cruelty and insecurity.
25. What does the poem suggest about Renaissance aristocracy?
Answer: It exposes the arrogance, materialism, and moral decay of Renaissance noblemen like the Duke.
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