Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 5 AIL 0407 short lesson, about 20 seconds
My Last Duchess: The Situation
Captions available
The idea
The anchor's dramatic-monologue chapter takes Browning's My Last Duchess. A Duke shows a visitor the portrait of his dead wife. The anchor identifies the speaker as Alfonso the Second, Duke of Ferrara, and the listener as an envoy negotiating the Duke's next marriage.
In practice
A widower showing off a portrait.
Where people slip
The listener is there to arrange a marriage.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it