Juxtaposition In Ozymandias

Question 1:

Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous sonnet “Ozymandias” creates a very clear image in my mind of what type of man pharaoh Ozymandias was. I believe that pharaoh Ozymandias was an extremely unique and powerful leader, looking at lines 4-5 the speaker mentions the disintegrated statues facial expressions which the speaker noticed first even though the statue was shattered. The speaker could clearly see “..frown, and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command” which in my opinion suggests that the king looked down on other people, thought that he was better by curling up his lip. His “frown” indicates that he intimidated people to ensure that everybody was aware of the great king and his power. “Cold command” in line 5 suggests that Ozymandias was everything but a warm loving Pharaoh and he would demand anything he wanted no matter how cruel or vicious it was. In line 10 carved on the pedestal “My name is Ozymandias, King of kings”, proves to us how egotistical and arrogant pharaoh Ozymandias was. His “works” quoted in plural form demonstrates that the pharaoh had more than enough and he was exceptionally successful and wealthy.

Question 2:

The “passions” the speaker is referring to in line 6 indicates the cruel character of Ozymandias that lives on in others. The “passions” of Ozymandias “survives” and outlives both the sculpture and Ozymandias himself. Shelley’s sonnet serves as a warning to people or societies that have an earnest desire for some type of immortality, wealth and power that it is “lifeless” and will “decay”. It means nothing in the end, like when the speaker refers to “colossal wreck” in line 13. While the statue’s face still conveys something of Ozymandias’ character, it too eventually reinforces the impermanence of human