Start an exciting trip through the complex world of Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue, “My Last Duchess,” with our in-depth My Last Duchess quiz. This quiz is perfect for literature students, poetry lovers, and fans of Victorian literature. It tests your knowledge of one of the most gripping poems from the 19th century.

Explore Browning’s psychological portrait looking at:

• The Duke of Ferrara’s spine-chilling story

•Robert Browning’s skilled use of dramatic irony

• The poem’s rich historical and artistic background

• Key symbols and what they mean in the monologue

• Ideas about power, jealousy, and treating women as objects

Are you a Browning expert or just starting with “My Last Duchess”? Our quiz will put your analysis skills to the test. Dig into the Duke’s character – his offhand cruelty and need for control – all shown through Browning’s clever words and style.

Get better at understanding dramatic monologues brush up on Victorian poems, and see new things in this key 19th-century work. Take on our “My Last Duchess” quiz and come away with a richer grasp of Browning’s sharp eye for the mind and his skill with poetry.

Ideal for:

• Students learning about Victorian literature

• Students preparing for RPSC First Grade Exam

• Poetry fans looking to test their analysis skills

• Teachers making lesson plans on Robert Browning

• Anyone intrigued by the mental depth of “My Last Duchess”

Don’t pass up this chance to boost your literary analysis skills. Jump into our “My Last Duchess” quiz now and see Browning’s poetic brilliance in a new light!

My Last Duchess Quiz

My Last Duchess Quiz

1. Who is the speaker in the poem “My Last Duchess”?

The speaker is implied to be the Duke of Ferrara, who is showing a portrait of his late wife to a visitor.

2. What is the form of the poem?

The poem is a dramatic monologue, where a single character speaks to a silent listener.

3. Who painted the portrait of the Duchess?

The Duke mentions that “Fra Pandolf’s hands / Worked busily a day, and there she stands.”

4. What does the Duke imply about the Duchess’s character?

The Duke suggests she was “too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed” and that “her looks went everywhere.”

5. What does the Duke mean by “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together”?

This line strongly implies that the Duke had the Duchess killed to stop her perceived flirtatiousness.

6. What is the Duke currently negotiating?

The Duke is discussing dowry arrangements with an emissary of a Count whose daughter he intends to marry.

7. What object does the Duke point out at the end of the poem?

The Duke mentions “Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, / Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!”

8. What does the Duke’s attitude toward the painting reveal about him?

The Duke’s possessive attitude towards the painting and his casual discussion of his late wife’s fate suggest he views her as a possession.

9. What does the Duke criticize about his late wife?

The Duke is upset that she valued his “gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name” the same as “anybody’s gift.”

10. What is the significance of the curtain mentioned in the poem?

The Duke mentions that only he draws back the curtain, symbolizing his control over access to the Duchess, even in portrait form.

11. What does “Fra” in Fra Pandolf’s name indicate?

“Fra” is a title used for brothers in Italian religious orders, often applied to monks who were also artists.

12. What does the Duke mean by “I choose / Never to stoop”?

The Duke suggests that explaining his dissatisfaction to his wife would be beneath his dignity.

13. What is the implied reason for the “spot of joy” in the Duchess’s cheek?

The Duke implies that the Duchess blushed easily at compliments or attention from anyone, not just him.

14. What does the Duke’s discussion of dowry suggest about his character?

The Duke’s mention of dowry in the context of discussing his late wife suggests he values material considerations in marriage.

15. What literary device is used in “as if she ranked / My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name / With anybody’s gift”?

The Duke uses “as if” to compare how the Duchess valued his name to how she valued gifts from others.

16. What does the Duke’s interest in the Neptune statue reveal about him?

The Duke’s admiration for a statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse parallels his own desire for control.

17. What is the effect of the rhyming couplets in the poem?

The consistent rhyme scheme underscores the Duke’s controlled, articulate nature, contrasting with the content of his speech.

18. What does the Duke mean by “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”?

The Duke is upset that the Duchess seemed to value his aristocratic heritage no more than any other gift or kindness.

19. What is the significance of the poem’s title, “My Last Duchess”?

“Last” here means most recent, and the Duke is in the process of arranging another marriage, implying there will be a “next” Duchess.

20. What is the tone of the Duke’s speech?

The Duke speaks about his late wife and her fate in a disturbingly casual manner, while boasting about his own importance and possessions.
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