Which of the descriptions of the duke in “my last duchess” by robert browning is an accurate example of an ironic contradiction in his personality?
a. cultured manners and evil nature
b. apparent wealth and lack of interest in a large dowry
c. ordering the duchess’s murder and being in love
d. sense of self-importance and respect for the count

The correct answer is A: cultured manners and evil nature. The entire shock of Browning's poem comes from the contrast between the duke's refined manners and the fact that he could order his wife's murder so blithely and on such minor grounds. Not only that: he relates murder as if it were a minor housekeeping issue. We normally associate murder with brutality and ignorance (and, one might add, with the lower classes), and the duke challenges those assumptions: he is a refined, cultured murederer who doesn't think twice about offing his wife.

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