2. Ozy comes from the Greek “ozium” which means either, ‘to breathe’ or ‘air’ Mandias comes from the Greek “mandate” which means ‘to rule’. Make 3 predictions about the poem.

3. This poem is based on a story Shelley had read about a funeral temple of the Egyptian pharaoh, Rameses II, whom the Greeks called Ozymandias. According to the story, the temple bore an inscription which read: ‘I am Ozymandias, king of kings...’ Ramsesses II, during his reign, built more temples and monuments, took more wives (8) and had more children (over 100) than any other pharaoh. He wanted to build memorials for himself, which he imagined would last forever. However, he used slave labour to build them and the slaves suffered hardship under his control. Today, many of these memorials and statues have crumbled into the sands of the desert.

4. I met a traveller from an antique land who said: two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command tell that its sculptor well those passions read which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things, the hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed; and on the pedestal these words appear: ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away. Look at the following version of ‘Ozymandias’. The line breaks have been removed. In pairs, work together to decide where the lines should end and put a mark ( / ) to show this.  Challenge - Why might Shelley have used and adapted the sonnet form? 

5. Ozymandias I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. Which of these statements best fits the poem and why? a)The poem is about the remains of a statue in the desert b)The poem is about a fallen tyrant from long ago c)The poem is about the vanity of a long-forgotten ruler d)The poem is about how all things, however great, decay with time

6. What we knowWhat we might deduce The statue The ruler The sculptor  Challenge – Why might we not be able to trust the ‘facts’ in the poem? 

7. Rank order the statements from the most to the least important.  Challenge – Find evidence for the top 3 statements 

8. What ideas about power are presented?

9. write it in ‘modern’ standard English, or more colloquial, informal English write a version for children write an archaeological report create a film trailer write a fairytale write a newspaper story (tabloid or broadsheet).