How is Power presented in Shelley's Ozymandias?

Power is presented largely as fragile through the manipulation of the Lentini and Shakespearean sonnet forms and the disruption of rhyme as a result. Shelley's own revolutionary ambitions to overthrow his ruler King George III could perhaps be the foundation for this presentation since he was against the King's abuse of power. This is because the King's abuse of power led to the class system that Shelley was vastly opposed to - thus presenting power as fragile because the smallest abuse can have devastating consequences. To signify this, Shelley has cleverly used elements of both the Shakespearean and Lentini sonnet forms to create his own form. Following the original sonnet form, the sonnet has an octave and sestet - the sestet commencing with the anaphoric 'And on the pedestal, these words appear'. Additionally, the sonnet nearly replicates the rhyme scheme typical of Shakespeare's form - 'land' and 'sand' making up the 'a' phrase. However, nearing the end of the poem, the rhyme scheme changes, which is not typical of either aforementioned forms. According to the Shakespearean form, 'Kings' should rhyme with 'decay', yet it doesn't. Perhaps, Shelley is suggesting the fragility of power because just as the sonnet form has evolved from the 13th century form created by Lentini to the 16th century adaptation, now to Shelley's own blend of the forms, power similarly cannot remain. Especially when it is being abused, it must be overthrown - something Shelley keenly supported in the case of his King.

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