Both present the power of leaders over people but in Ozy, his power deteriorates whereas in MLD the duke remains powerful throughout.
‘Half sunk, a shattered visage lies’ ‘I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together’
-Power of nature in eroding his status and legacy over time -the Duke is proudly claiming that he had his wife murdered in order to
prevent her from speaking to other men
-‘Visage’ symbolises Ozy’s broken legacy and how the scupltors work is
remembered and survives not the leader. -‘gave commands’ indicates that the Duke was not willing to kill his wife
himself; he used the power he had to have someone else kill her.
-Ironic as Ozy set statue up to honour his legacy and ‘works’ but is now
broken and forgotten. -metaphor- shows that despite all his money and power, he could not
control her so had her killed - power therefore stays constant
‘Colossal wreck’
‘Is my object’
- This oxymoron conveys both the ‘colossal’ scale of Ozymandias’s power
when alive, and the desolate ‘wreck’ of his statue’s (and Empire’s) legacy. -Duke is speaking to a messenger about a prospective second marriage,
implying that not only gained power over his ‘last’ wife, but that he may
-Shelley gives the reader a very clear message that the power of nature well do the same thing in a second marriage.
and time is more powerful than humankind, and even the most powerful
leaders and Empires (Eygptian or British) will fade eventually -Dehumanises women and his future wife
-Even after killing his last wife, his power is still well intact and he
Structure continues to abuse it
-Told through a second hand account which shows how unimportant he is
now Structure
-Shortness of poem shows how power doesn’t last.
-Dramatic monologue- duke dominates the conversation and doesn’t let
anyone else speak but him- showcases his control.
‘Half sunk, a shattered visage lies’ ‘I gave commands, then all smiles stopped together’
-Power of nature in eroding his status and legacy over time -the Duke is proudly claiming that he had his wife murdered in order to
prevent her from speaking to other men
-‘Visage’ symbolises Ozy’s broken legacy and how the scupltors work is
remembered and survives not the leader. -‘gave commands’ indicates that the Duke was not willing to kill his wife
himself; he used the power he had to have someone else kill her.
-Ironic as Ozy set statue up to honour his legacy and ‘works’ but is now
broken and forgotten. -metaphor- shows that despite all his money and power, he could not
control her so had her killed - power therefore stays constant
‘Colossal wreck’
‘Is my object’
- This oxymoron conveys both the ‘colossal’ scale of Ozymandias’s power
when alive, and the desolate ‘wreck’ of his statue’s (and Empire’s) legacy. -Duke is speaking to a messenger about a prospective second marriage,
implying that not only gained power over his ‘last’ wife, but that he may
-Shelley gives the reader a very clear message that the power of nature well do the same thing in a second marriage.
and time is more powerful than humankind, and even the most powerful
leaders and Empires (Eygptian or British) will fade eventually -Dehumanises women and his future wife
-Even after killing his last wife, his power is still well intact and he
Structure continues to abuse it
-Told through a second hand account which shows how unimportant he is
now Structure
-Shortness of poem shows how power doesn’t last.
-Dramatic monologue- duke dominates the conversation and doesn’t let
anyone else speak but him- showcases his control.
