Ozymandias Flashcards
1
Q
What is the context of Shelly’s ‘Ozymandias’?
A
*Written in 1819
*Inspired by unearthing of a statue of an Egyptian Pharaoh
*Egyptian Pharaoh’s believed themselves to be God in mortal form and have ever-lasting legacies
*“King of Kings am i, Ozymandias” written on base of statue
2
Q
“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone”
A
- statue is barely standing, the rest is ruined and missing - suggesting is legacy is barely standing and being withered away by time and desert
- futive struggle to survive when nobody is around to care
3
Q
“Half sunk, a shattered visage lies”
A
- broken and unrecognisable
- symbolises how a once great king serves no purpose anymore
4
Q
“sneer of cold command”
A
- synaethesia, suggests ozymandias character as powerful and arrogant
- ironic because there is nothing left of him
- suggests pharaoh enjoys being controlling and having power over others
5
Q
“king of kings”
A
- suggests he is supreme
- believes to be chosen by god and have divine right as king
6
Q
“colossal wreck, boundless and bare”
A
- colossal could be a metaphor for his ego rather than the structure
