Context

• The ideas and perspectives that are explored by Shelley in Ozymandias which relate to power or conflict:

  The Nature of Human Power

  The Power of Nature 
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • Shelley was a radical  romantic poet, who was strongly  anti-monarchy , and a  pacifist and he supported social justice
  • He rejected institutions of power, and his poetry was used to spread messages and political ideas which needed to be accessible to all
  • Shelley wrote Ozymandias to comment on the temporary and ultimately futile nature of human power
  • He was also against the monarchy and institutions that represented power and authority
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • There are several historical references in the poem
  • The first is to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, who used the throne name Ozymandias
  • Ramesses II thought himself to be a very powerful ruler and is remembered for his tyranny and military exploits, as well as having a large empire over Egypt
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • King George III was also an influence in this poem, as he was king at the time of the writing
  • This is reflected in the “ sneer of cold command ” that initiates military actions
  • He engaged in military conflicts and was remembered for oppression and tyranny. Many believed he had outstayed his welcome
  • Shelley was a pacifist and positioned himself against George’s military exploits
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • The poem also touches on how human power, by its nature, can corrupt and ultimately doesn’t last
  • The decay of the statue reflects how exploits which are impressive, but not morally good, will be criticised and forgotten about after they end
  • Overall, the poet is criticising power, arrogance and pride, as represented by Ozymandias
  • It mocks rulers' past, present and future for thinking they will be any different from the previous one
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • Shelley was also perhaps criticising systems in which any one individual is given so much power that, despite their abuse of it, the population is unable to remove them 
  • He is also criticising all power being centred on a person who obtains their importance from an image and perceived  divine right to power
• The Nature of Human Power:

  • The poem also explores the conflict between humans and memory, as Ozymandias was largely forgotten, even though he thought his memory would last forever
  • The poem also touches on the lasting power of art and words
  • Many people may not have remembered Ozymandias, but part of the statue remained, as well as the words placed on the inscription
• The Power of Nature:

  • Certain key themes dominated the poetry of the Romantic era, such as the concept of the sublime
  • This term conveys the feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes, or find themselves in extreme situations which create feelings of both fear and admiration
• The Power of Nature:

  • By describing the desert as “ boundless and bare ” and “ lone and level ”, Shelley communicates the vast, powerful extent of nature
  • He also comments on nature’s ability to outlive all other forms of power (and deem them insignificant by comparison)
  • The “ boundless ” desert easily outlives the now-forgotten king Ozymandias