1) He looked upon it As she was alive, the portrait is the image of an ideal wife and Duchess according to the Duke’s opinion 

 

 

2.a) Duke to himself:

… 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

For calling up that spot of joy.

…(since none puts by

The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)  

 

Dialogue between the Duke and an envoy:

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? 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 …

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. Sir, 'twas not

Her husband's presence only, called that spot

Of joy into the Duchess' cheek:…

…She had

A heart — how shall I say? — too soon made glad,

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,   

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

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

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

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   

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!

 

2.b) The text is a dramatic monologue and all the Duke’s words are important in himself, he remembers to himself his wife’s figure.

3.a) He criticized her behaviour, which seems as the common people and he criticized her good manners with others ( attentions, words and smiles). He was jealous but especially pride, because he thought she missed the Duchess’ behaviour.

3.b) Yes, he does. In the lines : The bough of cherries some officious fool / Broke in the orchard for her.

3.c) He hints at the murder in the following lines: I gave commands;/Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands / As if alive.

3.d) At the end of the dramatic monologue the Duke commands Claus of Innsbruck to cast the statue of Neptune.

4) The Duke is violent, possessive, selfish and proud. He decides to murder her wife to the jealousy of others, but his action was due to his possession: everything and everyone must be under his control; he doesn’t accept someone goes against his will.

5.a) The dramatic monologue presents rhyme couplets (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...); enjambments  (Looking as if she were alive. I call/That piece… But to myself they turned since none puts by/The curtain…) and caesuras (Looking as if she were alive. I call…Will't please you sit and look at her? I said….)

5.b) Examples of:

1.    First person speaker: the Duke

·      I call/That piece a wonder

·      I said/"Frà Pandolf" by design

·      But to myself they turned (since none puts by/The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)

·      And seemed as they would ask me

2.    Precise background:  the Duke’s realm in Ferrara(subtitle), maybe in Renaissance; indeed during XVI century the portrait is very used.

·      That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,

·      Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule/She rode with round the terrace

·      Will't please you rise? ? We'll meet/The company below, then.

3.    Presence of a listener: The Duke talks with himself and with a misterious listener.

·    Strangers like you (to the envoy)

·    perhaps Frà Pandolf chanced to say (to himself)

4.    Crucial point: When the Duke reveals the murder (past forms of verb, use of hypothetical forms…)

     ·     Then all smiles stopped together

·    Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,/ Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without/Much the same smile?

·     There she stands/As if alive 

5.    Colloquial language: use of II plural person

·      We'll meet/The company below

·      we'll go/Together down, sir

6.    Unusual syntax

·      I know not how (= I do not know how)

·      And seemed (= and it seemed..)

·      The curtain I have drawn (= I have drawn the curtain)

 

 

6) Complete with the words given

 Renaissance-envoy-ideal-control-freedom-unworthy-faults-pride-distorted-skilful

In My Last Duchess, a classical example of dramatic monologue, Browning portrays an eccentric character taken from the Italian Renaissance. The Duke is talking to the envoy of the Count of Tyrol, Showing him the portrait of his beautiful young former wife. The portrait preservers an ideal image of is wife, who is now under his complete control while in life her innocent freedom and love for people seemed to him  unworthy of his nine-hundred-years old name. Browning aims at creating a character whose moral faults come out of the situation: he ordered the murder of an innocent creature following his monstrous pride and his own distorted view of life. This is reached through the skilful change o perspective between present and past and of colloquial language which expresses the Duke’s force ad rhetoric.

 

 

Devices	Example	So what?
Conversational tone – the language directs the listeners	·      We'll meet The company below, then. ·      Nay, we'll go Together down, sir ·      so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus	He probably wants to keep the envoy’s attention and to be in intimacy with him
Disjoined thoughts – his thoughts are frequently interrupted	·      Sir, 'twas not Her husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps Frà Pandolf chanced to say… ·     She looked on, and her looks went everywhere Sir, 'twas all one!	It seems he is following the flux of thoughts. He also is distracted by his thoughts.
Urgent continuous pace – Use of enjambments	Enjambments: ·       Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece… ·       But to myself they turned since none puts by The curtain… ·       That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands Worked busily a day Caesuras: Looking as if she were alive. I call Will't please you sit and look at her? I said…	He wants to keep the control of the situation and so he is evading the envoy’s questions about the Duchess’ murder.
Convoluted syntax	·      But to myself they turned… ·      The curtain I have drawn ·      …not the first Are you to turn	At the same time he seems to be agitated, because he does not want to avoid Duchess’ murder details.
Uses strategies of argument and persuasion	·      She had A heart - how shall I say? - too soon made glad Too easily impressed. she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere ·       Somehow - I know not how - as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody's gift.	His purpose is persuading the envoy about his right command, and as a consequence he gives a deformed image of his former wife. Maybe he is also trying to justify his action to himself.
Regular rhyme and rhythm	Assonance: ·      Somehow - I know not how Rhyme couplets: ·       on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call ·      …now: Frà Pandolf's hands   Worked busily a day, and there she stands	He keeps the control of situation.
Repetition	·      Somehow - I know not how - as if she ranked My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody's gift. ·      She thanked men, - good! But thanked ·      She looked on, and her looks went everywhere        (polyptoton)	He tries to persuade his listener.
A dramatic monologue	·      ..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 For calling up that spot of joy. ·      (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)	The text is a dramatic monologue. Indeed he remembers his former wife and he remember because of the murder to himself.
Use of language	·      My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame This sort of trifling? ·       She thanked men, - good! But thanked Somehow - I know not how ·       Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 'twas not Of joy into the Duchess' cheek	The language has the task to persuade the envoy, also because he makes his image ideal for the future meeting with the envoy’s Count. As a consequence he wants to be in intimacy with the envoy and he uses contract forms and informal language. He describes her wife as an unadapt Duchess and wife.

 

 

 

The dramatic monologue is a continuous invitation to the envoy, but also to himself to consider the Duchess’ murder justified ( he gives a false image of the wife). So the linguistic devices (repetition, rhyme, popyptoton…) have the purpose to convince and also to express his will of control (urgent pace), as in speech also in life (Duchess’ murder).