Ozymandias

Who is "Ozymandias" written by?

Percy Shelley

What is the context of Ozymandias?

• Whole poem is about oppressive and superficial nature of human power

• Criticises King George III's tyranny by comparing him to a long-forgotten pharaoh (Ramesses II)

• Percy Shelley was a radical, romantic poet who was strongly anti-monarchy, a pacifist, an atheist and supported social justice

• Ozymandias criticises people and organisations that become too big and powerful so think they can’t be challenged

What is the key idea of Ozymandias?

Human power is ephemeral (temporary) but art and nature will survive. Power is transient but legacies and remembrance aren’t

What other poems can you compare Ozymandias to?

• My Last Duchess (Power of humans + pride)

• The Prelude (Power of nature + pride)

• London (Power of humans)

"Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies,"

• Creates a sense of irony: a king who believed so strongly in his own power and superiority, and who tried so hard to present this image of greatness through his statue, has now been forgotten and destroyed by time other than the visage that had been intended to show he was unforgettable

• Even a powerful human can’t control the damaging effects of time

"wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command"

What is the analysis of “wrinkled lip”?

• Connotes the image of someone grimacing in disgust and contempt, thus displaying the king’s disregard for his subjects, viewing them as inferior and below him

• This antipathy (strong dislike) is then paired with immense power which enables him to exploit and torture the people he rules with no empathy or remorse

• Shelley uses this to show the danger of having a single individual having unlimited power invested in them “be it political or religious), as it enables them to see all other people as inferior and thus derive an ability to oppress them

“wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command”

What is the analysis of “sneer”?

• Suggests contemptuous/mocking smile, remark or tone, which connotes malicious cruelty and heartlessness

• It’s like he is mocking his subjects, and shows his insolence and contempt for subjects that he views as below him

• This presents the King’s arrogance, confidence and sense of superiority

“wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command”

What is the analysis of “cold command”?

• This is reflective of Shelley’s own anti-violence stance, as he was against all military exploits and thus against the “cold commands” that initiate them

• Cacophonous alliteration mirrors that harshness of the King’s leadership

"The hand that mock’d them"

• The sculptor’s work is mocking the king. The king sees glory in a statue that is criticising, yet his own confidence in his own supremacy means he overlooks any evidence that contradicts his grandeur

• “Mocked” can also be interpreted “to make a model” as the sculptor has literally made a model of the king - perhaps it was not his intention to portray him negatively. But simply by modelling Ozymandias, it was inevitable that his cruelty would show due to it being an inextricable part of him

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:"

• Ironic as readers are only aware of who he is via the report of a traveller

• Ozymandias’ pride and arrogance led to his perception of being omnipotent

• Repetition suggests he is trying to deify himself (make himself a god) and be worshipped like one

“The lone and level sands stretch far away”

What is the analysis of “lone and level”?

• “Level” - monotonous and featureless - no sign of his legacy

• “Lone” - isolated - statue is all that remains - his cruelty is his only remembrance

• Alliteration emphasises the feeling of empty space in the surrounding desert

“The lone and level sands stretch far away”

What is the analysis of “sands”?

The literal sands have covered over Ozymandias’ stature; the figurative “sands of time” have covered over / erased Ozymandias’ memory