Ozymandias

Question 1

Ozymandias Context

Answer 1

• radical inspired by French Revolution
• romantic poet - nature + corrupt power
• wanted to end oppression of ordinary people
• Ozymandias refers to tyrannical Ramasses II
• makes links between Ramasses and current George III - seen as tyranical and generally disliked

Question 2

Ozymandias Form

Answer 2

• sonnet (octet + sestet) - reflects self-love of Ozymandias
• irregular rhyme scheme - art/society can develop, don’t have to be limtited

Question 3

Ozymandias Quotes

Answer 3

• ‘I met a traveller from an antique land’
• ‘And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command’
• ‘The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed’
• ‘Of that colossal wreck’

Question 4

‘I met a traveller from an antique land’

Answer 4

• second hand account - distances speaker in time/space from his criticisms of George III, doesn’t want to seem unpatriotic
• ‘antique’ - dictators and corrupt rulers are outdated, should move away from them

Question 5

‘And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command’

Answer 5

• ‘wrinkled’ - associated with age, statue includes idea that the power was outdated even when statue made
• ‘sneer’ - suggests our rulers rule over us with content, we should have more democratic system, people born into power not interested in helping normal people
• ‘cold command’ - harsh sounding alliteration emphasises kind of ruler Ozymandias was
• ‘command’ - military, fits image of Ozymandias and George III

Question 6

‘The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed’

Answer 6

• volta at end of octet - turned awful ruler into work of art that will last through history
• ‘the hand’ - references Ozymandias mocking people he feels superior to
• ‘heart’ - ironic as heart is feeding his own people nothing physically/emotionally
• ambiguity - describes Ozymandias and sculptur
• sculptur - mocking Ozymandias by creating statue to look cruel to show truth

Question 7

‘Of that colossal wreck’

Answer 7

• ‘colossal’ - alludes to colossus statue, reinforces idea that power will always be destroyed, very current at time, boys would have been educated on collosus statue, shows how art lives on
• irony - Shelley wants thing that Ozymandias does - Ozymandias wants power to live on, Shelley wants poetry/art to live on