Ozymandias analysis

Question 1

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings”

Answer 1

• Presented as hubristic by portraying arrogance and vanity through a dictating tone
• Biblical allusion to Jesus who is referred to as the ‘king of kings’, which highlights how Ozymandias views himself as a God-like ruler with the assumption that he is superior to all

Question 2

“And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command”

Answer 2

• ‘Wrinkled lip’ conjures the image of someone grimacing in disgust and contempt
• ‘Sneer’ shows contemptuous mocking connotes malicious cruelty and heartlessness
• Alliterative sound of ‘c’ accentuates the menacing tone behind his command
• is a reflective of Shelley’s anti-violence stance

Question 3

“Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies”

Answer 3

• Plethora of deeply negative language
• Fricative symbolises his mocking and arrogance, but also how his desire for everlasting power wasn’t fulfilled
• Creates a sense of irony, a king who believed so strongly in his power and superiority, who tried so hard to maintain an image of greatness has now been forgotten and destroyed by time, contrasting his intention to show he is unforgettable