Objectives

• Analyse how Browning constructs the Duke as an unreliable narrator through diction, syntax and the dramatic monologue form.
• Explain how the portrait conceit and the Neptune sculpture function as symbols of the Duke's desire for control over women.
• Identify and interpret the euphemism 'gave commands' (line 45) as implied violence, evaluating its effect on the reader's relationship with the speaker.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds quotation, names a technique, and links it to the poem's concerns with gender and power.
• Evaluate how Browning uses the dramatic monologue form to critique Renaissance — and by implication Victorian — patriarchal attitudes to marriage and female autonomy.
• Contextualise the poem using knowledge of Alfonso II d'Este and Browning's refinement of the dramatic monologue in the 1842 Dramatic Lyrics collection.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Who Is Speaking and What Has He Done? Close Reading My Last Duchess

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the poem silently from start to finish. Take a sticky note and write one word that captures your impression of the Duke, along with a line from the poem that influenced your choice. Once you're done, place it on the board—hold off on discussing for now.

   Teacher input

   Let's closely examine lines 43–47: "This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together."

   First, notice how "gave commands" serves as a euphemism—it's telling that the Duke never directly states, "I had her killed." This choice of words hints at his desire to evade responsibility. The enjambment here, moving from one line to the next without a pause, emphasizes the suddenness of the act, almost as if it happened in a heartbeat.

   Next, the phrase "all smiles stopped" utilizes a passive construction that strips the Duchess of her agency. It reflects the Duke's broader goal of silencing her, showcasing his control over her fate. This ties back to the portrait metaphor introduced in the first two lines: the Duke has substituted a vibrant, living woman with a mere image he can manipulate at will.

   Independent task

   Annotate lines 1–13 (the opening portrait description, from 'That's my last Duchess' to 'Fra Pandolf's hands worked busily a day') and lines 43–47 ('This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands / As if alive'). Then write one PEEL paragraph (150–200 words) answering: How does Browning use the portrait conceit in the opening thirteen lines and the euphemism in lines 43–47 to reveal the Duke's attitude towards his late wife? Students should submit the annotated poem extract along with the written paragraph.

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   Changes Made:

   • Reworded some phrases for a more natural flow while retaining the original meaning and structure.
   • Kept all formatting intact as requested.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain why Browning has the Duke use the phrase 'gave commands' rather than stating directly that he had the Duchess killed, and what effect that choice has on the reader's view of the speaker.

2. Lesson 2: Power, Art and Form: Writing an Exam-Style Response on My Last Duchess

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without referencing your notes, jot down three actions or statements made by the Duke that demonstrate his urge to dominate women. Next to each, include the corresponding line or phrase from the poem that supports your point. You have four minutes.

   Teacher input

   Here’s a humanized version of your text:

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   Model the construction of an exam-style introduction and first body paragraph in response to the question: 'How does Browning use the dramatic monologue form to present the Duke's desire for power over women?' For instance, in lines 54–56, where he mentions, 'Notice Neptune, though, / Taming a sea-horse,' you can show how to incorporate a quotation effectively. This line employs a closing simile, or ekphrasis, highlighting Neptune as a mythological figure that reflects the Duke's own self-image as someone who can dominate and tame wild, free entities. Additionally, stepping back to consider the form, the Duke's monologue itself acts as a form of control, silencing the Duchess much like the portrait he describes does.

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   Summary of Changes:

   • Adjusted phrasing to make it sound more natural without altering the meaning or structure.
   • Clarified the explanation of techniques and symbolic functions to maintain engagement.

   Independent task

   Write a full exam-style response (350–450 words) to the question: 'How does Browning use the dramatic monologue form to explore the Duke's desire for power and control?' Your response must refer to at least three specific moments in the poem — the portrait conceit (lines 1–13), the Duchess's behaviour as the Duke describes it (lines 21–34, from 'She had / A heart — how shall I say? — too soon made glad'), the euphemism 'gave commands' (lines 43–47), and optionally the Neptune sculpture (lines 54–56). You must also include at least one reference to relevant context: either Alfonso II d'Este's historical circumstances, Browning's use of the dramatic monologue in the 1842 Dramatic Lyrics collection, or Victorian attitudes to female conduct in marriage. Students hand in the full written response.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining how the Neptune sculpture in the final lines (54–56) reinforces the poem's central concern with the Duke's desire to possess and control, and say whether you think Browning intends the reader to admire or condemn the Duke — or both.

Activities

Assessment

• Sticky-note do-now (Lesson 1): checking whether students can identify a character trait and locate textual evidence without prompting.
• Class board clustering (Lesson 1): checking whether students can see patterns in the Duke's self-presentation across the poem as a whole.
• Euphemism Hunt pair task: checking whether students can distinguish between what the Duke says and what he implies, and can name the technique.
• Exit ticket Lesson 1: checking whether students can explain the effect of 'gave commands' as euphemism and connect it to the reader's relationship with an unreliable narrator.
• Peer assessment ladder (Lesson 2 activity): checking whether students can apply the four analytical moves — embed, name, explain, link — to evaluate a peer's paragraph.
• Exit ticket Lesson 2: checking whether students can interpret the Neptune sculpture symbolically and hold a dual reading of the Duke (admired/condemned) simultaneously.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1): Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about the choices Browning makes in constructing the Duke as an unreliable narrator.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1): Identify and explain the function of the portrait conceit and the Neptune ekphrasis as symbols of patriarchal control.
• Narration (NAR-1): Analyse how the dramatic monologue form — a single speaker addressing a silent listener — shapes meaning and limits the reader's access to the Duchess's perspective.
• Character (CHR-1): Explain how the Duke's diction, syntax and self-interruptions reveal character without authorial commentary.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate an informed, personal and creative response to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including Browning's use of enjambment, euphemism, and the dramatic monologue form.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the historical context of Alfonso II d'Este and Victorian attitudes to female conduct.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including feminist and new historicist readings of the Duke's implied violence.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in Browning's use of the dramatic monologue, including voice, structure and imagery.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance of contexts, including the Renaissance setting, the historical figure of Alfonso II, and the Victorian publication context of Dramatic Lyrics (1842).

IB Lit

• Reader, Culture and Text (Strand 1): Explore how the dramatic monologue positions the reader in relation to the Duke's unreliable account of the Duchess.
• Time and Space (Strand 2): Analyse how Browning's Renaissance Italian setting and Victorian publication context together shape the poem's critique of patriarchal power.
• Intertextuality (Strand 3): Consider how 'My Last Duchess' participates in a tradition of dramatic monologue poetry and how knowledge of Alfonso II d'Este inflects a reading of the speaker.