My Last Duchess

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  • My Last Duchess
    • "Fra Pandolf"
      • Repetition of the painters name suggests self pride
      • Form of bragging about his wealth
      • Link with London due to control and abuse/excess of flaunting of wealth and power.
    • "(Since none puts by/The curtain I have drawn for you)"
      • Parenthesis represents control
        • Nobody has the power to show the painting other than him
          • obvious due to his sheltering of the painting; added to emphasise control.
        • shows the duchess is now under complete control of the duke and can only be seen by others when he condones it.
      • HOWEVER
        • "She had/A heart--how shall i say?-too soon made glad/Too easily impressed"
          • Lack of power made him kill his wife.
            • Felt that she was too appreciative of the attention she received.
              • Wanted her to smile at nobody but him.
                • "Then all smiles stopped together"
                  • Used his power and command to have her killed; linking with power of humans and how the Duke has used this to kill his wife.
                  • Willing to sacrifice "happiness" and "smiles" in order to prevent his wife from being appreciative.
  • Conclusion: Overarching irony as it is not about the Duchess but about the controlling, jealous and arrogant nature of the Duke
    • Linking powerfully

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