My Last Duchess Questions Answers | Class 11 English Second Semester WBCHSE
1. “I repeat”-What does the speaker repeat in the context of the poem, ‘My Last Duchess’
While leading the representative of the Count downstairs to meet his companions the Duke, the only speaker of the dramatic monologue, repeats (probably he had told the same thing earlier) that his (envoy) master was well known for his generosity and that there was possibility of enough dowry. But, that was not the matter of consideration. He only needed the daughter of the Count as his wife.
2. Why is Browning’s poem called ‘My Last Duchess’
The opening two lines of the poem make the readers aware of the fact that the speaker is a Duke and his Duchess is most probably dead:
“That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive.”
The use of the word ‘last’ suggests that possibly he had other Duchesses before. The said Duchess is no more alive. She is now just a portrait painted on the wall but very lifelike. Evidently, the departed Duchess remains at the centre of the focus in the poem and so, the poem is named after her.
3. “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall Looking as if she were alive.” -Who is the speaker here? Whom does he seem to speak these lines? What idea do you form of the speaker and the painting in context of the above lines
In Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara is the speaker here.
The Duke seems to speak to the emissary of a Count. Here the Duke is shown to point at a portrait of his last Duchess and the tone is that of the sincere admiration of a genuine lover of art. The picture is, no doubt, lifelike, as if the painter is able to capture the soul of the Duchess. The basic trait of the Duchess was an abundance of goodness and expression of joy which she showed on people indiscriminately. And this expression of joy made her cheeks flushed. Fra Pandolf thus, painted the beautiful nature of the Duchess on a canvas.
4. What is the main message in ‘My Last Duchess’
Through the Duke’s speech the readers come to learn about Duchess’s personality and behaviour, as well as the Duke’s own flaws in his character. The poem is an exploration of jealousy and possessiveness within a marriage, gendered expectations of women, and the women as a mere possession.
5. Who was Claus of Innsbruck
Ans. In ‘My Last Duchess’ Claus of Innsbruck is a fictitious sculptor or metalworker. The Duke refers to him as he shows off yet another piece of art. As the Duke moves the count’s representative who is the only listener of the dramatic monologue, away from the painting of his former Duchess, the Duke draws his attention to a statue of Neptune, the Roman sea-god, taming a sea-horse, cast by Claus of Innsbruck, specially, for him.
6. Which trait of the Duchess’s character irritated the Duke most and why
The Duchess, the wife of the Duke of Ferrara, was a lady of free and frank disposition. She used to be pleased with simple cause, simple incidents and simple people. She was spontaneous to express her joy. Moreover, she had the habit of smiling not only at her husband but also at everybody who came in contact with her. This trait of Duchess’s character irritated the Duke most.
The Duke was highly conscious of his rank and position. He claimed that the Duchess being the wife of the Duke, must maintain that aristocracy all the time. He did not like his gift of ‘nine-hundred-years- old name’ in the same rank with the gift of others. The unreserved way of speaking, the candid expression of joy on the part of the Duchess and her blushes visible to one and all were, according to the Duke, against the norm of aristocracy. It irritated the Duke.
7. “Too easily impressed…..”- Where is the line taken from? Who is the speaker here? About whom is it spoken? How was the person spoken of easily impressed? Justify your answer with examples from the text
The quoted line is taken from Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue “My Last Duchess”.
The Duke of Ferrara is the speaker here.
It is spoken about the Duchess, the wife of the Duke of Ferrara.
The Duke claimed to the emissary that the Duchess was jovial and gracious, full of courtesy to all. She was a lovely woman whose kindness and impressiveness were natural. Every simple thing like ‘dropping of daylight in the west’ or, ‘the bough of cherries’ broken from an orchard or a simple activity like riding a mule round the terrace were the things of pleasure to her. Thus, she was really impressed by a very simple thing.
8. “……all and each/Would draw from her alike the approving speech,/Or blush, at least.”-Who says this and to whom? About whom is it spoken? What picture is painted in the quoted lines
In Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ the Duke of Ferrara says this to his only listener, the emissary of a Count who came to the Duke for a negotiation on the point of his remarriage.
This is spoken about the last Duchess, the deceased wife of the Duke of Ferrara.
By uttering these lines the Duke, in fact, paints the natural gaiety and graciousness of the lady which he could not tolerate. The lady’s expansiveness and informal nature was a cause of bitterness and resentment to the Duke. He was a man who believed that his wife was his property and it was his right to get smiles from his wife and nobody else. Her smiles on others was an infringement on the rights of property. The Duke was possessive and jealous in nature. He wanted to impress on the envoy that he demanded from his would-be wife a wholehearted attention only to him.
9. “Sir, ’twas not/Her husband’s presence only, called that spot/Of joy into the Duchess’s cheek.”-Who is the husband referred to here? Who is the wife? Explain the meaning that the speaker wants to convey to the readers
The ‘husband’ here is the Duke of Ferrara in Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’.
The Duchess is the last wife of the Duke of Ferrara.
The Duchess is no more alive; she is only a lifelike portrait now.
The spontaneous expression of joy on the part of the Duchess was not acceptable to the Duke and in his opinion, it must have bordered on frivolity. He thought that the joys and sorrows of the Duchess must be expressed upon his command only. In fact, the jealous Duke could not stand the fact that the Duchess would be equally responsive to everyone. He wanted the Duchess to preserve her favour and smile only for the Duke and none else.
10. “Oh, Sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her, but who passed without Much the same smile?”-Who is the speaker here? Who is addressed as ‘Sir”? Who is ‘she’? What does the speaker describe here and how
The Duke of Ferrara in Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’is the speaker here.
The emissary of a Count who came as a representative to negotiate the Duke’s remarriage with Count’s daughter, is addressed as “Sir”.
‘She’ refers to the last Duchess of the Duke of Ferrara, presently hanging on the wall as a portrait. She is no more a living Duchess.
The duke describes the character of his last Duchess. The Duchess put on her smiling countenance to one and all. The Duke admits that she smiled on him whenever he passed by her. But she smiled at everybody that she passed. She showed equal attention and courtesy to her husband and others. She was courteous to all alike. The Duke could not endure this. Her habit of being pleased with e everybody persisted and grew all through, till the pathetic end of her life.
11. “This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.” -What does ‘this’ refer to here? Who gave com- mands and to whom? Why did all smiles stop to- gether
In Robert Browning’s poem ‘My Last Duchess’ ‘this’ refers to the Duchess’s habit of smiling not only at her husband but also at everybody. She went on smiling at all who passed her without making any difference of treatment.
The Duke of Ferrara gave commands perhaps to his executioner to kill the Duchess.
The Duke being very much conscious of his aristocracy and having a prejudiced sense of conduct, did not like his wife’s attitude to life. Her habit of smiling at all alike hurt his ego and he felt that the wife had no special love or respect for him. Being extremely conscious of his own privileges, both as a ruler and as a husband, he became an autocrat. Jealousy and possessiveness overpowered him. So, he ordered to kill his wife. By the expression “all smiles stopped together” he ironically refers to the murder of his wife.
12. “Notice, Neptune, though, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me.” -Who is Neptune? Who is Claus of Innsbruck? In what situation does the speaker show the statue? What does the present piece of art suggest
Neptune is the Roman god of sea.
Claus of Innsbruck is a fictitious sculptor or a metalworker who cast the statue of sea-god forcefully taming a sea-horse.
After describing the lifelike portrait of the Duchess, the Duke politely asks the envoy of the Count whose daughter he seeks in marriage, to go downstairs. On their way the Duke of Ferrara shows the rare piece of bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse.
Here, the Duke reveals himself as one having a refined taste for painting and sculpture. The lifelike portrait of the Duchess, painted by Fra Pandolf is a possession of pride to him. Likewise, the bronze statue of Neptune is another rare work of art that he shows to the envoy of the count. However, he never fails to provide a subtle hint on the issue of forceful taming of the sea- horse by Neptune. By this, he suggests that he also will not hesitate to apply force to the woman who will fail to pay an undivided attention to him.
13. “She thanked men,-good! But thanked……..” -Who is ‘she’? Whom did she thank and why? What light does the statement throw on the character of the lady
In the context of the present poem ‘My Last Duchess’ here ‘she’ refers to the Duchess of Ferrara.
She thanked not only the Duke for his rare and costly gifts but also all others-rich or poor so to say, she made no distinction between the favours she received from her husband and those she received from others. It was her habit that she reacted and thanked others even for a very small thing that impressed her.
The appearance, behaviour, as well as her natural reaction to any person speaks about the character of the Duchess. According to Duke himself, the Duchess was a lady with her natural gaiety and graciousness. She was easily impressed by all alike. She rated equally the favours of her husband, the glow of the sunset, the gift of a clown, the white mule which she used to ride. She behaved with equal courtesy and kindness with all. However, this gracious lady standing against the jealousy and possessiveness of her husband has to pay much by sacrificing her precious life.
14. How are power, possession, art and marriage themes presented in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’
The themes of power, possession, art and marriage are intricately blended in Robert Browning‘s poem ‘My Last Duchess’.
In the present poem power is shown through the Duke’s intention of controlling the Duchess. He treated her as an object he owned. In his view the Duchess must not smile at and be gracious to all alike. As a thing of his possession, the Duchess must work, move, smile and thank according to his will. In his views marriage involves complete subordination of the wife and is largely a matter of business.
The theme of art shows the Duke’s pride in the ownership of a private gallery where he has kept not only portrait of his last Duchess but also a bronze statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse. Hence, it can be told from the speaker’s words and tones that he enjoys owning these objects and he also wants to enjoy ‘owning’ his wives.
15. Why does Fra Pandolf comment on the lady’s mantle in ‘My Last Duchess’
While exhibiting and explaining the portrait of the Duchess the Duke speculates as to why the Duchess bore the ‘spot of Joy’ (blushed) at the time of the portrait being painted. The Duke claims that the Duchess was ‘too easily impressed’. With reference to ‘her mantle’ the Duke means to say that Fra Pandolf is essentially telling her to show a little more skin and she blushes.
The Duke notes that her blushing was not for ‘Her husband’s presence only’. So, the Duke suspects an unholy relation between the Duchess and Fra Pandolf. Hence, the Duke comes to the point that her blushing in response to Pandolf’s request to show more skin, is provocative and seductive behaviour rather than humble embarrassment.
16. “Somehow I know not how as if she ranked……..” -Why is the speaker displeased with the woman being referred to
The speaker is the Duke of Ferrara. He is really upset with the Duchess, since the way she thanked people seemed to imply that she thought the small favours they did for her were as important as what the Duke did for her. The Duke thinks that thanking others for doing things for her is fine but the manner in which she did so is needless. He tries to justify his view by claiming that he has given her his ‘nine-hundred- years-old name’, a tie to his aristocracy, power and reputation and that is why, she should be grateful exclusively to him.
17. Bring out the story on which the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is based
The story on which the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ is based has a long past history in Italy. From the description of Louis S. Friedland we come to know that when Browning visited Italy in1838, he came across a biography of Alfonso II (1533-1598), fifth Duke of Ferrara, who married Lucrezia, the 14-year-old daughter of the upstart merchant in 1558. As incidents happened, after three days of her wedding, Alfonso left her for two years and she died barely at the age of 17. Four years later when Alfonso was in Innsbruck, he began negotiating for getting a new bride with a representative of the then Count of Tyrol, one Nikolaus Mardruz. A poet’s sensitive heart.
Read More – The Garden Party Question Answer