GCSEEnglish LiteratureAQAExam Questions4. The Poetry AnthologyPower & Conflict

Power & Conflict (AQA GCSE English Literature): Exam Questions

Exam code: 8702

13 hours286 questions

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Power & Conflict

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11 mark

Who speaks throughout My Last Duchess?

  • the Duchess herself

  • the Duke of Ferrara

  • the painter Fra Pandolf

  • an unnamed servant

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21 mark

What object is the Duke showing to the emissary?

  • a sculpture of Neptune

  • a portrait of his last Duchess

  • a family coat of arms

  • a self-portrai

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31 mark

What does the Duke complain about in his Duchess’s behaviour?

  • She was too easily impressed by others.

  • She never smiled at anyone but him.

  • She refused to ride the white mule.

  • She disliked gifts of jewellery and splendour.

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41 mark

Which gift from the Duke did the Duchess wear at her breast?

  • a bracelet of gold

  • a necklace of pearls

  • a ribbon, his favour

  • a brooch of silver

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51 mark

What statue does the Duke show the emissary at the end of the poem?

  • Venus rising from the sea

  • Neptune taming a sea-horse

  • Apollo with a lyre

  • Julius Caesar on horseback

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61 mark

How does the Duke reveal what happened to the Duchess?

  • He says she left him suddenly, out of nowhere.

  • He says she fell ill and died.

  • He says he gave commands and her smiles stopped.

  • He says she drowned while riding by the lake.

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71 mark

Why does the Duke emphasise his “nine-hundred-years-old name”?

  • to highlight the value of his family status

  • to show he gave his wife vast wealth

  •  to claim he gave her political power in Ferrara

  • to suggest he gave her freedom of choice

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81 mark

Why is the painting significant to the Duke?

  • It lets him control how others see his wife.

  • It was painted by his father.

  • It proves his wealth through gold leaf.

  • It records his wedding day.

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91 mark

How does the Duke describe Fra Pandolf’s role in the Duchess’s blush?

  • He says the painter made her laugh.

  • He insists the painter never spoke to her.

  • He claims the Duchess blushed only for him.

  • He suggests the painter flirted politely.

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101 mark

What is a central theme of My Last Duchess?

  • the strength of romantic love

  • the celebration of female freedom and spirit

  • the abuse of male power and control

  • the importance of religious devotion

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11 mark

What does the Duke’s use of the possessive pronoun “my” in the title and opening line mainly suggest about his character?

  • his deep affection and grief for his late wife

  • his proud habit of collecting valuable possessions

  • his controlling attitude and belief in owning his wife

  • his admiration for Fra Pandolf’s remarkable artistry

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21 mark

Why does Browning write the poem as a dramatic monologue from the Duke’s perspective?

  • to show the Duchess’s story and glory through his distorted viewpoint

  • to give the Duchess a voice by letting the Duke describe her

  • to expose the Duke’s arrogance and abuse of power through his own words

  • to explain the Italian setting and Renaissance society

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31 mark

How does Browning’s use of a single stanza contribute to the poem’s portrayal of power?

  • It mirrors the Duke’s continuous dominance and control over the narrative.

  • It shows the Duke’s emotional instability through his constant digressions.

  • It divides the poem into separate sections of social reflection.

  • It highlights the Duchess’s inability to interrupt or respond at any point.

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41 mark

What is the effect of Browning’s use of rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter?

  • They make the Duke sound smooth and charming, as if he speaks with a melody.

  • They reflect the Duke’s desire for order and control beneath smooth speech.

  •  They show how the Duke tries to appear courteous and civilised to his guest.

  • They show that the Duke is misunderstood as controlling when he is really a romantic.

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51 mark

How does Browning present the Duke’s attitude towards women?

  • He views women as affectionate but weak and in need of control.

  • He treats women as possessions to be silenced and displayed.

  • He admires women’s intelligence and independence of thought.

  • He despises women as disobedient and morally inferior beings.

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61 mark

In Browning’s portrayal, what does the statue of Neptune “taming a sea-horse” symbolise?

  • the Duke’s admiration for powerful mythological figures

  • the Duke’s self-image as a godlike force dominating delicate beauty

  • the Duchess’s eternal freedom, symbolised through art and nature

  • the envoy’s awareness of the Duke’s violent, controlling impulses

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11 mark

Compared to Ozymandias, how do both poets present the corruption and fragility of power?

  • Both show rulers whose legacies are immortalised through enduring art.

  • Both expose arrogance and pride that lead to the decay of authority.

  • Both idealise strong leadership as an inspiring human achievement.

  • Both reveal power as impressive yet ultimately hollow and self-destructive.

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21 mark

Compared to Ozymandias, how do both poems present power as ultimately self-defeating?

  • Both show rulers whose power fades with time, yet their words and achievements continue to inspire respect.

  • Both depict leaders whose confidence earns lasting respect and authority.

  • My Last Duchess condemns personal vanity, while Ozymandias celebrates ambition and legacy.

  • Both present power as grand but hollow, exposing pride as its own destruction.

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31 mark

How do My Last Duchess and London each expose abuses of power within social hierarchies?

  • Both glorify inherited authority as preserving moral order and protecting tradition.

  • Both praise social order, suggesting that hierarchy maintains peace and stability.

  • Both reveal how inherited power oppresses others, turning mastery into exploitation.

  • Both show religion as a pure moral force that protects people from corruption.

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