He was a self-absorbed megalomaniac with the notion of being the mightiest ruler in the whole world.
Ozymandias was a king who loved himself more than his subjects. What kind of person you think Ozymandias is? The sneer of cold command signifies the contemptuousness,alofness and pride,which tells a lot about the kings’ haughty personality. What does ‘wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command’ indicate in Shelley’s poem Ozymandias? The wrinkled lip suggests a disdainful attitude and hauteur. What do the wrinkled lip and sneer symbolic? What is the point of view of the poem ‘Ozymandias,’ and what effect does it have on who the reader hears? The point of view is third person because the reader hears the voice of the speaker, the traveller, and Ozymandias. What is the point of view of the poem Ozymandias of Egypt? Shelley then uses the technique of irony to highlight how Ozymandias’ power has diminished over time reducing him to ‘trunkless legs of stone’. ‘King of kings’ also alludes to divine power as Ozymandias believed himself to be as or more omnipotent than God. The face is half buried in the sand and has a frowning expression. There are two legs of stone standing in the desert with a shattered face, near by. The poem describes a broken statue of Ozymandias, an ancient Egyptian king, who was a tyrant and proud of himself. Who was Ozymandias How has he been described in the poem? These engraved passions have survived (that is, outlived) the hands of the sculptor that created them. The sculptor is mocking the King by emphasising his arrogance and his age – ‘wrinkled lip’ – in his depiction. Instead, we should live a life of simplicity. Thus, we should not be boastful, egoistic or live with pride. Shelley had read of the statue in Diodorus Siculus, a Roman writer, who had described it as intact.Ĭonclusion of Ozymandias The passage of time destroys even the most powerful or mightiest person or thing in the world. Ozymandias was the name by which Ramses II, a pharaoh famous for the number of architectural structures he caused to be erected, was known to the Greeks.
‘King of Kings’ (βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων) is used in reference to Jesus Christ several times in the Bible, notably once in the First Epistle to Timothy (6:15) and twice in the Book of Revelation (17:14, 19:11–16) Who is referred to as the king of all kings and why? The irony in the poem is that the words on the pedestal, in which Ozymandias calls himself king of kings and demands that all others who aspire to greatness should look on his works and despair, contradict the fate of the great statue, which lies in ruins in a remote, barren desert. What is ironic about the words on the statue of Ozymandias?
Explanation: The irony in the poem lies in the fact that the mighty ruler had the following words engraved on his statue ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings Look upon my works ye Mighty and despair!’ These words conveyed he was so powerful that no other king could surpass him. How does a poet bring out the irony of Ozymandias proud words?Īnswer. (Shelley 11).” The wonderful irony in line 12 comes when the speaker says, “Nothing beside remains, round the decay.” Even Ozymandias, in all his greatness, could not predict that his monument to self would fall to ruin leaving him to look the fool. It was Ramesses II, ruler of Upper Egypt for 67 years in the 13th century BC, who had defeated the Hittites, the Nubians and the Canaanites, hugely expanded the bounds of Egypt, and built Thebes into a city of 100 gates, many covered in gold and silver. “Ozymandias” may have been a corruption of part of his royal name. Who was the king of kings in the poem Ozymandias? Whereas the inscription said ‘look upon my work ye Mighty and despair’ and ‘king of kings’. Only two legs stood on the pedestal and the head was lying in the sand. The condition of the statue and the inscription on the pedestal are ironical.
What is ironic about the fate of Ozymandias? Throughout the poem, Ramesses’ pride is evident, from the boastful inscription where he declares himself a ‘king of kings’ to the ‘sneer of cold command’ on his statue. He eventually became known as Ramesses the Great and was revered for centuries after his death. What does the king refer to himself as in the inscription Ozymandias?