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A fully-resourced, accessible lesson on My Last Duchess by Robert Browning for the Edexcel IGCSE English Literature (4ET1) Poetry Anthology. This lesson explores Browning’s dramatic monologue, the presentation of power and control, and the Duke’s character. Includes contextual background, vocabulary support, close reading tasks, scaffolded comparison with The Tyger, and an analytical writing frame. Ideal for first teaching or revision — ready to use.

Lesson Features and Content:

• Engaging Starter Activity: Students reflect on how portraits can reveal power, control, and personality, preparing them to engage with the Duke’s psychology.
• Contextual Background: Clear, student-friendly information about Robert Browning, dramatic monologue form, and the historical inspiration for the Duke of Ferrara.
• Guided Reading with Vocabulary Support: The poem is unpacked with glossed definitions of key terms (e.g. countenance, dowry, officious), supporting confident and independent reading.
• Creative Character Exploration: Students complete a visual task mapping how the Duke sees the Duchess versus how she may have felt — helping them understand conflicting perspectives.
• Worksheet: Using a table, students explore what the Duke’s speech reveals about his character. Suggested vocabulary is included to support students in making their inferences and deductions.
• Comparative Focus: Includes a structured task and example scaffolds for comparing My Last Duchess with The Tyger — ideal for exam preparation and practice of comparative skills.
• Analytical Writing Support: A clear PETALETAL paragraph scaffold is provided, helping students write confident, comparative analytical paragraphs suitable for Edexcel IGCSE requirements.