*Note: I didn't notice that this one did not post when I posted all of my other assignments
1. To whom is the duke addressing his remarks about the duchess in this poem? What is ironic about the situation.
He is addressing some other man whose daughter will soon be the duke's to marry. The duke is acting as if his last wife passed by natural means and even goes as far as to present a portrait of the woman he killed to the father of the next suitor.
2. Why was the duke unhappy with his first wife? What does this reveal about him? What does the poem's title suggest about his attitude toward women in general?
She smiled at other men too much, and that being said, shows that he was insecure about his position and authority in the relationship. The title of the poem suggests that he objectifies women because it doesn't go far enough as to give his duchess, one whom he should have known intimately, a name.
3. What seems to be the visitor's response (lines 53-54) to the duke's account of his first wife?
One of almost silent reverence or boredom from the overwhelming complexity of a one sided discussion that the duke is giving.
Title: This poem, strictly basing the prediction on the title alone, would lead me to think that the person is an older man who has seen more than one wife and lost one for the last time. (Brief class discussion has opened my eyes to the true meaning a bit.)
Paraphrase: There is a painting of his Duchess on the wall, looking as if she was still there and alive. He considers the portrait more valuable to him now and the father's hands worked on theportrait busily, and the finished work stands where it is. The duke proceeds to almost demean the duchess's image and practically says that she was too easily impressed (as if she cheated on him). He then proceeds to inflate his family's name and implies that nothing, no gift is a worthy trade. It is eventually stated that Neptune tames the sea-horse, but he could not tame the duchess.
Connotation: The speaker uses imagery to paint a verbal picture to go along with the portrait he is presenting to the Duchess-to-be's father. The misleading language and inflated lie and deflated truths present in the poem suggest that he is being dishonest and misleading this new woman's father in order to make himself out to be a better man that he is. His false humility almost becoming comical at times when he clearly contradicts himself.
Attitude: The attitude of this poem is condescending toward the last Duchess, but very egotistical when it comes to the reader speaking of himself. He is full of himself and has a hard time staying consistent with his lies and exaggerations of alleged crimes the last duchess committed.
Shift: There are multiple shifts in this poem, the first being when the Duke goes from a passionate discussion about his wife's instances of being flirty and promiscuous, to being very authoritative a few lines later to then acknowledging again the fact that he could not tame the beast known as his wife.
Title: Not even given a name, it is representative of the overall lack of care that the speaker held for his last victim that he claims to have been something most likely far from anything he discusses, but since she is in the grave, her voice is silenced.
Theme: People will use any and all opportunities to impress people they find substantially important to their lives, and not everything that they say will be the complete truth or truth at all.
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