English Lit - Ozymandias (Poetry - Context)

• Historical Context
• Shelley's Context
• Extra Context

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ORANGE = SHOULD KNOW

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• The poem was written by Shelley in a collection in 1819.
• 'Ozymandias' was inspired by the finiding of a large statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II.
• The Egyptian Pharaohs believed that they to be Gods in mortal form and believed their legacy would last forever.
• The base of the statue said: "King of Kings am I, Ozymandias. If anyone would know how great I am and where I lie, let him surpass one of my works."

• Shelley was a man who believed strongly in: freedom + equality for all people. 
• He was also an Atheist
• His ideals about freedom and equality came from the French Revolution, meaning he was politically radical for his time.
• He devoted a lot of time to convincing others of the rightness of his beliefs.
• Shelley was expelled from Oxford Uni for his part in writing a pamphlet - The Necessity of Atheism.
• Atheism was an outrageous idea in 19th century England.
• He could possibly be presenting Ozymandias as a scornful ad spiteful leader, who does not care for his subjects.
• In order to persuade readers that successful leaders should try to rule for everyone and not just themselves. Perhaps he uses the name 'King of Kings' ironically in the poem.
• That is a Biblical term used to describe the Christian God. 
• By showing Ozymandias describing himself as 'King of Kings', when he is actually fragile ad temporary as the rest of us, Shelley calls into question the very concept of God.

• Shelley is one of th most famous poets in English Literature.
• He is know for one of his roles in the group called - The Romantics.
• He was very wealthy and was to inherit both riches.
• He moved to the Lake District and continued to write.

Useful link(s):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetrycharactervoice

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