Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the events of 'My Last Duchess' and the relevant contextual ideas that surround it.
Key learning points
- The poem depicts a Duke showing an envoy a painting of his late wife.
- The poem was written during the Victorian period, marked for its strict morality and patriarchal society.
- Browning uses the poem as an attack on the biased, overbearing views of Victorian society and archaic hierarchy.
- Browning sets the poem in the Italian Renaissance, perhaps to disguise his social criticism of Victorian society.
Keywords
Critique - a piece of work that indicates the faults of something in a disapproving way
Hubris - excessive pride or self-confidence
Possessive - someone that is possessive wants to have all of their partner’s love and attention
Stoop - to lower one’s moral standards and dignity
Munificence - the quality of being extremely generous
Common misconception
Browning was writing about his own wife's domineering father.
Biographical moments in the poet's own life are not always relevant to the poem.
Teacher tip
The first and second read of the poem allows your teaching of the poem to be led by your students' own discoveries and ideas. Listen to the students and unpick any interesting comments they make.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a dramatic monologue?
Q2.Which of the below is an example of arrogance?
Q3.What does chaste mean?
Q4.Which of the below is a possessive adjective?
Q5.What statements are true of the Victorian era?
Q6.Why might a woman’s promiscuity cause outrage to a Victorian man?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What form does the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ take?
Q2.Which quote from 'My Last Duchess' suggests the Duke killed his wife?
Q3.What can we infer is the reason that the Duke killed his wife in the poem 'My Last Duchess'?
Q4.What are the most relevant pieces of contextual information for the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?
Q5.When Browning exposes the Duke’s arrogance in 'My Last Duchess', which Victorian ideals could he be criticising?
Q6.Why might Browning have set the poem 'My Last Duchess' in the Italian Renaissance?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the 'Power and Conflict' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.