The speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, shows off a portrait of his late wife, the Duchess, to an envoy. He speaks proudly of the portrait but reveals that he grew jealous of the attention the Duchess gave to others, including the painter who created her portrait. The Duke implies that he took severe actions against his wife, suggesting he was responsible for her death. He dismisses the envoy to join others, showing his desire to move past his late wife and pursue a new marriage.

1. The Painter Chris de Burgh I'd like you to meet my last queen, Over there large as life She's been hanging there for almost a week, My poor late wife; What do you think of the colour of her skin, It has the bloom of a rose, You see she begged me to bring a certain painter in, And for that picture in her bedroom she would pose; Well after a while he was driving me mad, As you could well understand, Sitting in there, day after day, With my wife in the palm of his hand... It was -

2. " Madam please do this and Madam please do that", You've never heard such display, But he didn't mind he was taking his time, It was me that had to pay, "Oh Madam I think we should take a walk in the woods, You understand it's the light", And did I mind, no, I was so kind when they, Came back in the middle of the night, And I swear I'll take care of the painter, oh the painter... Well as you can see it was hard for me, But something has to be done, She only has eyes for him and his lies, and as for me, Not a glance, not a single one;

3. My orders were severe and she disappeared, It really was such a shame, And when they told me she was dead I broke down and said, "It's that painter, it's him, he's to blame." With his "Madam please do this and Madam please do that", You've never heard such display, But he didn't mind he was taking his time, It was me that had to pay, "Oh Madam I think we should take a walk in the woods, You understand it's the light", And did I mind, no, I was so kind when they Came back in the middle of the night, And I hope it's the rope for the painter, When he's found, it's hellbound for the painter, I'll get that painter...

4. My Last Duchess Robert Browning

5. Robert Browning 1818 – 1889 Victorian Age (1840 – 1890) Poet and playwright Master of the “dramatic monologue”

6. dRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Speaker who is not the poet Duke of Ferrara (Alfonso II) Ferrara = city-state in Lombardy Reveals thoughts at significant moment in his life Usually a one-sided conversation with a silent partner Duke discusses the portrait of his late wife with an envoy (a diplomat or messenger) from the Count whose daughter he intends to marry We become chillingly aware that he is an arrogant man – will do anything to satisfy the demands of his arrogance

7. The poem tells of a very cruel and ruthless Duke who cannot love without so completely possessing and destroying the identity of his wife that he literally kills her and lives with her dead substitute – a work of art.

8. That's my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now : Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will't please you sit and look at her What are the implications of the word “last”? Iambic pentameter Attitude towards the Duke? What does the pronoun tell us about his attitude towards her? Why “now”? Value of painting versus the value of his wife? In media res – in the middle of the conversation – Duke is speaking directly to the envoy

9. I said "Frà 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 (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) 10 And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, Deliberately, on purpose What does this tell us about the character of the Duke? What does this tell us about the visitors’ attitude towards the Duke ?

10. How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 'twas not Her husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps Frà 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": such stuff Was courtesy , she thought, and cause enough 20 For calling up that spot of joy . She had A heart -- how shall I say? -- too soon made glad, The Duke tries to imagine what the painter said that caused this reaction. Does not blame the painter but his wife. The painter was being polite. She should not have been so easily impressed.

11. Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. 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 She rode with round the terrace -- all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, 30 Or blush, at least. She thanked men, -- good! but thanked Somehow -- I know not how -- as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name According to the Duke she had no ability to discriminate between important and unimportant things: “ My favour at her breast” “ My gift of a nine-hundred-years old name” It is “good” that she showed gratitude but “bad” that she ranked this things on a par with his name.

12. With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame This sort of 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" -- and if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 40 Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse, --E'en then would be some stooping , and I choose Never to stoop . Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without He believes he lack the “skill in speech” to make his will clear to her Not prepared to compromise his dignity or to drop to her level.

13. Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands ; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive. Will't please you rise? We'll meet The company below, then. I repeat, The Count your master's known munificence Is ample warrant that no just pretence 50 Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! We do not know what these commands were but we see their results Poem ends where it started – the Duke shows the envoy another “treasure”

14. ONE SPEAKER FOUR CHARACTERS THE DUKE THE DUCHESS THE VISITOR –THE COUNT’S ENVOY THE PAINTER – FRA PANDOLF

15. Enjambement/run-on lines Irony (appearance vs reality) Pronouns and possessives Ambiguity: “ Her looks went everywhere’ “ I choose/Never to stoop” “ This grew” “ I gave commands” “ All smiles stopped together”