My Last Duchess : Welcome to our new post on Robert Browning‘s “My Last Duchess.” It is one of Browning’s most studied poems, exploring themes of power, jealousy, and control. These MCQs will help students prepare for exams, improve their comprehension, and gain deeper insights into the poem’s meaning.
My Last Duchess : 20 MCQs with Answers
1. Who is the speaker in My Last Duchess?
a) Fra Pandolf
b) The Duke of Ferrara
c) The Duchess
d) Claus of Innsbruck
- Answer: b) The Duke of Ferrara
2. My Last Duchess is an example of which poetic form?
a) Sonnet
b) Free verse
c) Dramatic monologue
d) Ode
- Answer: c) Dramatic monologue
3. Which historical figure is the Duke in the poem loosely based on?
a) Lorenzo de Medici
b) Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara
c) Charles V
d) Cesare Borgia
- Answer: b) Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara
4. What is the main theme of My Last Duchess?
a) The beauty of Renaissance art
b) The power and control of men over women
c) The importance of family heritage
d) The struggle between love and duty
- Answer: b) The power and control of men over women
5. What poetic meter is used in My Last Duchess?
a) Iambic pentameter
b) Trochaic tetrameter
c) Anapestic trimeter
d) Dactylic hexameter
- Answer: a) Iambic pentameter
6. The phrase “Then all smiles stopped together” suggests:
a) The Duchess was forbidden to smile
b) The Duchess’s death
c) The Duchess’s painting was destroyed
d) The Duchess lost her happiness
- Answer: b) The Duchess’s death
7. How does the Duke perceive the Duchess’s behavior?
a) As flirtatious and indiscreet
b) As kind and generous
c) As naive and innocent
d) As indifferent and cold
- Answer: a) As flirtatious and indiscreet
8. What does the Duke mean by “I choose / Never to stoop”?
a) He refuses to lower himself by explaining his feelings
b) He refuses to bend down physically
c) He does not want to kneel before God
d) He will never love another woman
- Answer: a) He refuses to lower himself by explaining his feelings
9. What is suggested about the Duke’s personality?
a) He is kind and compassionate
b) He is insecure and controlling
c) He is deeply romantic
d) He is forgiving and patient
Answer: b) He is insecure and controlling
Quiz on : Dramatic Monologue Quiz : 20 MCQs
10. What does the Duke imply about his future wife?
a) She will be treated better than the last Duchess
b) She must obey his expectations
c) She must be allowed freedom
d) She will have no choice in the marriage
- Answer: b) She must obey his expectations
11. What does the Duke’s reference to “Neptune taming a sea-horse” symbolize?
a) His love for the sea
b) His desire to dominate women
c) His admiration for mythology
d) His preference for art over people
Answer: b) His desire to dominate women
12. The Duchess’s blush is a symbol of:
a) Love for the Duke
b) Her appreciation of simple pleasures
c) Her guilt for an affair
d) Her embarrassment over her portrait
- Answer: b) Her appreciation of simple pleasures
13. What does the Duke’s tone reveal about him?
a) He is deeply mournful
b) He is indifferent and arrogant
c) He is regretful and apologetic
d) He is lonely and heartbroken
- Answer: b) He is indifferent and arrogant
14. What is the Duke negotiating at the end of the poem?
a) The sale of his palace
b) A new portrait of himself
c) His next marriage arrangement
d) A political alliance
- Answer: c) His next marriage arrangement
15. How does the Duke’s attitude towards the Duchess’s smile reflect his personality?
a) It shows his deep affection for her
b) It reveals his obsession with control
c) It suggests he was indifferent to her emotions
d) It highlights his generosity
- Answer: b) It reveals his obsession with control
16. What does the Duke imply about how he handled his displeasure with the Duchess?
a) He forgave her and moved on
b) He sent her away to a convent
c) He spoke to her openly about his concerns
d) He ordered her to be killed
- Answer: d) He ordered her to be killed
17. What does the Duke’s monologue ultimately reveal about him?
a) He is a victim of betrayal
b) He is a powerful and just ruler
c) He is arrogant and controlling
d) He is deeply in love with the Duchess
Answer: c) He is arrogant and controlling
18. Why is the title My Last Duchess significant?
a) It suggests the Duchess was his true love
b) It implies he had only one wife
c) It highlights his possessiveness and finality
d) It refers to the Duchess’s noble lineage
Answer: c) It highlights his possessiveness and finality
19. How does the Duke justify his actions regarding the Duchess?
a) By claiming she was unfaithful
b) By stating his authority as her husband
c) By saying she lacked intelligence
d) By arguing that she was too naive
Answer: b) By stating his authority as her husband
20. What does the Duke find most troubling about the Duchess?
a) Her inability to communicate
b) Her habit of smiling at everyone
c) Her lack of artistic appreciation
d) Her devotion to religion
Answer: b) Her habit of smiling at everyone
