Skip to main content

In "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley, why does the king refer to himself as the King of Kings?

King Ozymandias, who had a huge statue built of himself, was claiming to be the greatest of kings.


In the ancient world, kingdoms were typically very small.  Most kings were what we would today call local warlords.  It was possible for one king from a larger civilization to conquer many other kings of smaller kingdoms, building an empire.  He would then be greatest king, ruling over the small-scale kings, literally a "king of kings." 


When...

King Ozymandias, who had a huge statue built of himself, was claiming to be the greatest of kings.


In the ancient world, kingdoms were typically very small.  Most kings were what we would today call local warlords.  It was possible for one king from a larger civilization to conquer many other kings of smaller kingdoms, building an empire.  He would then be greatest king, ruling over the small-scale kings, literally a "king of kings." 


When an empire-building king did conquer a foreign city or kingdom, it was not unusual for him to set up a stela, a stone pillar commemorating his victory, inscribed with a highly flattering description of how he had conquered.  Stelae were set up by conquering kings from Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and Greece, among many others. 


The statue of Ozymandias and its inscription were apparently a version of a boastful stela, this time accompanied by a huge statue of the king (also not unheard of in the ancient world).  


The statue should remind us of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who had a golden image made of himself, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, as recorded in the book of Daniel, Chapter 3.  Earlier in the book of Daniel, we see a similar statue being smashed to bits by a great rock.  Apparently a similar kind of humbling happened to Ozymandias. 


The irony in the poem is that this "king of kings," who was once so mighty and apparently feared by many people, is now reduced to a crumbling statue far out in the desert in an "antique land," who is heard of by no one except occasionally in a traveler's tale.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu
Post a Comment
Read more

How can I analyze Moon and Six Pence by Somerset Maugham?

In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of... In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of that society. His decision to e
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h
Post a Comment
Read more