Identify and Explain Key Quotes in 'My Last Duchess'

Refer to the poem 'My Last Duchess' in your anthology.

Here's a quick recap of the poem: The poem is a dramatic monologue, set in the Renaissance period, in which a wealthy man of high nobility- the Duke of Ferrara-shows a marriage broker a painting of his late wife- his "last Duchess". The Duke defames his ex-wife, portraying her as someone who is easily impressed and seems to smile too much! Long story short, the Duke is awful, controlling and domineering- it's quite clear that as the poem unveils, the Duke is revealed to have killed his wife.

Throughout the entire poem, the Duke emphasises how powerful he is. However, to the reader, his delusion and thirst for authority becomes more and more apparent. 

This activity should help you revise some key quotes and help deepen your understanding of the poem. In the following questions, you'll be given a quote from the poem, and you'll need to identify the poet's meaning behind the quote.

It may be helpful to write the quotes down as you do this exercise so you can try and remember them for the future!

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples. These quotations are for reference only.