My Last Duchess

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  • Created by: ali3006
  • Created on: 11-12-18 11:39
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  • My Last Duchess
    • Form
      • Dramatic monologue written in Iambic Pentameter.
        • Reinforces impression that the Duke is in conversation with his visitor.
      • Rhyming couplets show the dukes desire for control.
        • However the enjambment suggests he gets carried away with his anger and passions.
      • Creates a picture of an unstable character.
        • His obsession with power is unsettling.
    • Structure
      • Framed by the visit to the Duke's gallery.
        • However he gets caught up talking about the Duchess instead of describing the art.
      • Poem builds toward a kind of confession before the identity of the visitor is revealed.
      • Duke then moves on to talk about another artwork.
    • Power and Objectification
      • The Duke feels the need to have power and control over the Duchess.
      • He saw her as another one of his possessions to be collected and admired just like his artwork.
    • Dramatic Irony
      • The things the Duke says about the Duchess seem quite innocent but often have more sinister meanings interpreted by the reader.
      • Gap between what the Duke tells his listener and what the poet allows us to read between the lines.
    • Status
      • Status is extremely important for the Duke
      • He cares how others see him.

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