essay comparing my last duchess and ozymandias

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Why I love…Comparing AQA poems a series: Ozymandias and My Last Duchess

Ozymandias and My Last Duchess

I’m really excited to be planning for teaching My Last Duchess and my first port of call was the resources in our shared area, which are excellent. Then, I read The Art of Poetry Vol 6 by Neil Bowen, while it was a DEAR session in a KS3 class, finally I created the following vocabulary list for the different characters in the poem, which I will go through and discuss/define with my class before teaching the poem. I’ve already taught them Ozymandias and this is our first pairing. I’m also not suggesting that this is the only interpretations for these poems, or that the essay below is in any way the best possible essay that could be written, but hopefully it is a high level example that will be useful.  Also, I hope that it isn’t too repetitive. Do let me know!

Here is the high level vocabulary that I plan to use along with the department lesson:  Vocab & Summary My last duchess

The question that I will use for the comparison essay is:

Compare the way control is exerted in both poems.

Both Ozymandias by Shelley and My Last Duchess by Browning have powerful personas who exert control over their respective areas of control. Shelley describes Ozymandias as a powerful, arrogant and cruel ruler, similarly Browning describes The Duke in the same ways, unlike Ozymandias his control is exerted over the memory of his dead wife, while Ozymandias had (in life) control over his subjects. Browning uses the form of a dramatic monologue to allow the Duke’s cruelty to become evident, while Shelley uses a sonnet (traditionally a love poem) to portray a similar level of callousness from Ozymandias. The forms of these poems are interestingly contrasting as MLD is a very long stream of consciousness that is carefully crafted in rhyming couplets, which seems to be a deliberate decision by Browning to emphasis the control the Duke has over his wife, even in death. Ozymandias, on the other hand follows the rules of a Petrarchan sonnet, which is similarly complicated to execute well and again this form supports the exertion of control that Ozymandias held in life.

This exertion of control is evident in Ozymandias as the story, told by “a traveller from an antique land” is told. Using the adjective “antique” offers authority to the story due to the tradition of oral stories being handed down through the generations. It also implies that the story itself is as old as time, should be believed and could be a warning to a society that they need to change the way they behave. Power is implied to be dangerous when in the hands of the wrong type of person and this may be Shelley’s overriding political message, which is also true of Browning in My Last Duchess. Browning discusses The Duke as having power due to his status as an upper-class gentleman with -“my gift of a nine-hundred-years old name” reflecting the arrogance of the Duke treating his wife as an object and killing her. The Duke appears to think that having a established name from the aristocracy allows him carte blanche to treat his wife in any manner he chooses as a result of the way “she smiled” at not only him, but others as well. The insinuation of killing is made when the end-stopping is used in “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together.” Pausing at the end of the imperative “commands” highlights the contrast between the living Duchess and her implied death. The Duke doesn’t outright admit to killing her, but the implication is clear. Control here is exerted by the Duke in the deadliest way as he lacks control over the behaviour of his wife and is pathologically jealous of the way she behaves towards other men. Parallels are clear that power in the wrong hands is dangerous. Both poets were inspired by different personal influences to write about their subjects; Shelley was in competition with a friend to create a ‘winning’ poem using the subject of Ozymandias, while Browning had moved to Italy and was undoubtably inspired by the story of the killing of the Duke Alfonso II’s (the Duke of Ferrara) wife, Lucrezia de’ Medici as it is said she died in suspicious circumstances. This link is alluded to in the subtitle of the poem “Ferrara”.

As romantic poets both Browning and Shelley were heavily interested in human rights and were worried about the pace of change in their lifetime, which is interesting as both poets choose to write about powerful characters whose influence is out of control and superior, perhaps again reflecting their interest in people. In Ozymandias arrogance, a supercilious and condescending attitude is shown with the “pedestal” that the statue rests on stating “king of kings”. The repetition shows a breath-taking lack of self-awareness from the character who implies he oversees all other rulers and therefore is the best. However, Shelley’s tone here influences the reader to think that he may be saying this in a negative way. Connotations of a pedestal are being above others, being higher in authority and being untouchable and this is what Ozymandias appears to think he is. Although, the desolation in “boundless and bare.” With the firm end-stopping and the plosive sounds suggest that he is no different to anyone else and that when death comes any power or control that you exert in life will be gone in death. Shelley seems to be inferring that the way you treat people in life is important and that your ‘legacy’ will fade, but how you treated people won’t be forgotten.  Meanwhile, in MLD the Duke also shows a breath-taking arrogance when he uses the first person aside “(I have drawn for you, but I)” indicating to the reader that he is the only one fit to view his ‘Last Duchess’. It is another example of his objectification of his wife, but also his obsessive behaviour towards her. He has placed her painting “on the wall” in order to see her, but then covers this up with a curtain that no-one is allowed to touch. This behaviour shows an overwhelmingly strong amount of controlling behaviour and allows the reader to glimpse the instability of the Duke’s mental health. This is strikingly like the arrogance shown by Ozymandias in ordering his subjects to create a huge statue in the desert for him to be remembered by. Many ordinary men would have died in the construction process as the statue is described as “vast” implying a great size.

Both rulers exert control in a cruel manner. Ozymandias is described using adjectives as having a “wrinkled lip” and “sneer of cold command” showing that the “sculptor read his passion well” which is clearly a negative reflection on the way that Ozymandias’ facial expressions show his controlling behaviour towards his subjects. While, in MLD the Duke invites his guest, the envoy, in a commanding tone to “Will’t please you sit and look at her?” suggesting that it is not a question in fact it is an order that the Duke gives, which is unlikely, due to his social position, to be refuted. The politeness used by the Duke feels forced which is similar to the way Ozymandias was described as “the hand that mocked them and the heart that fed them” as his behaviour here seems forced.

Interestingly, both characters also lack control and cannot exert the control that they wish as well as showing control. This is suggested through the desolation and destruction evident in the statues broken appearance with the adjective phrases “trunkless legs” the “half sunk” and “shattered visage” showing that no matter what control and power he had in real life, once dead this is gone and all that remains is the decay of his once powerful leadership. Shelley is writing about the pharaoh Rameses 11, who was considered a cruel and spiteful leader, therefore the statue being broken and forgotten shows that he has, in death, had his comeuppance. In MLD, this lack of control is shown through the ranting tone of the Duke, in his long dramatic monologue and the way that the speech becomes increasingly broken as he continues his ranting. Caesura in lines such as “The company below, then. I repeat,” showing that his speech has a stilted formality as if he has revealed too much to the envoy. As well as this, Browning is also, as stated before, inspired by real life events, showing another similarity in these romantic poets writing.

Sibilance is used to great effect in Ozymandias to exert the control that was had by the persona being discussed in the poem. “well those passions read” which give it a sinister touch, as we recognise that Ozymandias was an unpleasant man, who took for granted the lives of others. This is very akin to MLD although the poem uses rhyming couplets instead “not” and “spot” which almost reinforces the sinister way the Duke has of recounting his wife’s death, as if by rhyming he is retaining tight control over the story that he reveals. Both Browning and Shelley create a sinister tone through the way the poems sound.

Overwhelmingly, in both poems control is exerted using the characterisation of both Ozymandias and The Duke. Both characters appear narcissistic, evil in their own way and downright unthoughtful. Ozymandias, while short is a powerful reflection on how to treat people when you are in a position of authority and Shelley’s message appears to be to be careful of the legacy that you leave behind. Whereas, Browning reflects on the cruelty of the upper classes and how they seem to be able to do anything they like without recourse to the law. Browning’s message appears to be a warning against putting on a pedestal the higher classes, as they too have evil inside them. Both poets show a slightly cynical view on power and the control that this gives to people. Ultimately, the poets show a negative reflection on how people can abuse their positions and status and that this is a trait to be careful about.

A copy of the essay is here if it is any use/interest:  Ozy & MLD

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11 thoughts on “ why i love…comparing aqa poems a series: ozymandias and my last duchess ”.

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This series is great – thank you! I’m looking forward to using them with my top set Y10s. This one loses the first page, though, when I print. Is there something I am doing wrong?

I can send you a copy if you let me know your e-mail address Ruth. I’ll also reload later to the blog.

Thank you – I just realised that I was missing the fact that you had attached links to word documents and I was trying to print the webpage!

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — My Last Duchess — Comparative analysis of the poems Ozymandias by Percy Shelly and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

Comparative Analysis of The Poems Ozymandias by Percy Shelly and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning

• Categories: My Last Duchess Ozymandias Percy Bysshe Shelley

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Published: Dec 5, 2018

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Compare and contrast the ways that power is depicted in 'Ozymandias' and 'My Last Duchess'

In the poems Ozymandias by Percy Shelley, and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, power is depicted as unstable and easily lost , creating a tone of mockery . Moreover, it is shown to be unreliable, due to the layers of narration which are implemented by the poets. This essay will analyse how the poets use these layers of narration alongside other tools, such as metaphor and imagery, as well as structural and formal devices, in order to reinforce their portrayals of power.Arguably, the use of the speaker is most significant in shaping our interpretations of power in the poems. The poems are similar in their use of layers of narration; in both Ozymandias and My Last Duchess, the legacy of the subject is told through the voice of another person . This diminishes and mocks the power of the subject , as a reader would understand that the ability to communicate is the most vital form of power. In Ozymandias , the story is told not through one, but two voices. Shelley begins by writing "I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said -". In using two voices, the power of Ozymandias becomes minuscule, as his story is reduced to merely a passing folk-tale, with little reliability or truth to it. Moreover, in calling it an "antique land", the reader even questions if the land existed at all; it is almost an allusion to "in a land far far away". This is ironic, as it contradicts the power that we are told Ozymandias had in his past life - "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!". The poem My Last Duchess is different in its use of the dramatic monologue - the Duke of Ferrara - however, it is similar in the sense that the Duchess does not have the agency to speak for herself. We know that the story is unreliable, as we learn that the Duke was plagued with jealousy during their relationship. This is shown most significantly in the lines, "she liked whate'er / She looked on, and her looks went everywhere"; the repetition of the word "looks" signals the Duke's suspicious nature, suggesting that a simple look was a sign of the Duchess' infidelity.

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• Created by: amyhopkins1
• Created on: 07-12-16 19:38

English Literature

• Unseen poetry

Report Mon 27th November, 2017 @ 21:22

omg thanks this is sooo helpful <3

Report Mon 12th March, 2018 @ 17:55

this is really useful thanks a lot

Report Sun 18th March, 2018 @ 22:04

Wow thank u so much this is very helpful . This really helped me with my English  hmwk 

Report Mon 21st May, 2018 @ 18:15

so helpfulllllll cheers :0 

Report Wed 20th March, 2019 @ 14:20

tat veri good danks :  )

Report Mon 6th May, 2019 @ 16:07

Report Tue 18th June, 2019 @ 09:36

very good helped get a grade 2.5 so i only got 2 beatings from my mum 

Report Sun 23rd June, 2019 @ 16:22

shuper fantashtic fanks for dat grade 10!

Report Thu 3rd October, 2019 @ 20:23

Helpful, but would be more useful with language techniques and structure

Report Tue 19th November, 2019 @ 21:05

just wondering how the duke lost power in MLD 

Report Mon 2nd December, 2019 @ 17:26

this was bs

Report Mon 2nd March, 2020 @ 13:20

great easy to follow thank you

Report Sat 25th July, 2020 @ 15:38

The overall comparison wasn't that overall. And the Duke doesn't lose any power in MLD; this is seen by the way that he already objectifies his next wife, etc.

Report Sun 31st October, 2021 @ 21:54

ery good helped get a grade 2.5 so i only got 2 beatings from my mum

just wondering how the duke lost power in MLD

Report Sun 31st October, 2021 @ 21:55

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omg thanks this is sooo helpful <3

Wow thank u so much this is very helpful . This really helped me with my English hmwk

so helpfulllllll cheers :0

tat veri good danks : )

very good helped get a grade 2.5 so i only got 2 beatings from my mum

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