The Mighty King of Nothing

Percy Bysshe Shelly, one of the most renounced poets of the Romantic era published a masterpiece in the year 1818 named “Ozymandias”. “Ozymandias” was based on the story of the famous pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Ramesses II was the King of Egypt during the 19th dynasty and lived to be 92 years old. Ramesses II expanded the empire and built cities stretching out from Syria to near the fourth cataract of the Nile. He built monuments throughout the cities in his honor and in honor of the gods. During his reign Ramesses II brought luxury upon Egypt, but not everything was gold and happiness. Slavery was a problem during Ramesses reign as it increased just like the militia. Ramesses was involved in many wars, in which Egypt was sometimes victorious, he even signed a peace treaty with Hittites. But not all that starts well ends well. Ramesses’ strive for more power in Egypt caused it to decline.

In Shelly’s poem “Ozymandias” we encounter a king who once had a great empire just like Ramesses the Great did. The name Ozymandias, when translated, means the king of nothing or the king of air. Just like Ramesses, Ozymandias fought to have a great empire full of riches and most of all he wanted power. Ozymandias wanted to be remembered for his greatness and his triumphed, but there was one war he could not win.

The poem starts by introducing a traveler who is telling his story about a journey into an antique land. The antique land he speaks of was once and empire who’s ruler was Ozymandias. In these antique land lays “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone…And wrinkled up lip, and sneer of cold command.” These are the remains of a once prosperous empire. These are the remains of the power Ozymandias who was a cold and sinister ruler or at least that was how his sculptor made him look. The sculptor was not very fond of Ozymandias, for he mocked his power and his arrogance. The sculptor continued to mock his king, for engraved a statement in Ozymandias’ sculpture: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / look oh my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This statement is ironic because nothing remains of the king of kings Ozymandias. “Nothing besides remains” Ozymandias fought against armies to build his empire but the one thing he was never able to beat was time. Just like Ramesses the Great (Ramesses II) Ozymandias led his empire to failure because riches and power are not the only thing that makes a great empire. Just like the definition stated Ozymandias was stands for the king of nothing.