‘My Last Duchess’ – Pre-reading

LO: Understand and explore the key moral dilemmas and themes of the poem

Ext. Evaluate the character and tone of the poem

Trophy Wives and WAGS(Add – “Another idea…”

Develop – “we could go further than that…”Contest – “I understand what X said but I disagree

because…” )

• What makes the ideal ‘trophy wife’ or WAG?

• How is their lifestyle portrayed?

• Why do so many people envy this lifestyle? Or do they?

• Should men have all the power in a relationship?

• What happens at the end of such a relationship?

Moral MazePut these in order from most to least guilty

1. A man who murders his wife2. A man who gives orders for his wife to be killed but doesn’t

actually carry it out himself3. A woman who flirts with another man although she is married4. Someone who suspects that a man has murdered his wife yet

does nothing about it5. A wife who doesn’t show gratitude (thankfulness) or respect

towards her husband for marrying her6. A man who treats his wife as a possession7. A woman who enjoys trivial things in life – like a sunset – because

they make her happy8. A father who allows his daughter to marry a man who is

suspected of murdering a previous wife

Archaeological Dig

What does each of these have to do with the poem? Write or draw the object and then make your prediction?

After reading the poem, we will refer back to these predictions to see whether you were accurate or not.

Object Prediction Actual Link/s

There are 7 objects…

4 times…

1. Who are the main characters and what do you learn about them?

2. The poem tells a story. What do you think this is? Identify some of the key events.

3. What are your first impressions of the narrator/speaker?

4. What do you notice about the sounds or patterns of the rhythm and rhyme as it is read to you?

Archaeological Dig

What does each of these have to do with the poem? Write or draw the object and then make your prediction?

After reading the poem, we will refer back to these predictions to see whether you were accurate or not.

Call my Bluff

• Read out the word with the correct definition and two false ones. The rest of the group or class try to work out the true meaning.

• Some of you may have the true definition and you have to make up the false ones

• Some of you may have nothing and you have to look up the true definition and then make up the false ones