How Do Both Beaumont And Shelley Discuss The Futility Of Pride And Power In Their Poems.

kings’ exempts no man so no matter how powerful they have become they will eventually be struck down by the scythe of death. Beaumont therefore shows the reader that all people die regardless of status. Beaumont criticises the kings and queens of his present and past for there ‘fretted roofs’, ‘pomp’ and ‘costly shows’ for they are worth nothing and mean nothing in death whereas good deeds and great works that kings and queens had the power to perform would be remembered even during their death, this draws parallels those in power today. Beaumont writes about how the kings and queens that ‘lie’ in Westminster Abbey’ had realms and lands’ but that ‘now want strength’ to be able to merely ‘ stir their hands;’ Beaumont adapts a Bible scripture from psalms chapter 110 verse 6 which says ‘Put not your trust in Princes’ and instead writes ‘In greatness is no trust’ meaning that while some great men do good and grand things for the good of other people when they die the person that takes that place may not continue to carry out these good things. The same is true of today a good man might become President but then in eight years have to relinquish his title of President to a person with ideals that aren’t as beneficial. Beaumont from this one line helps us remember that one great man is in the end only one man in a vast world who has a limited amount of time to make a difference. Beaumont writes about those who attempt to hide from the fact that with each day they grow older using the example of a woman who uses makeup to hide the fact that her age increases, ‘Bid her paint till day of doom’ this can be likened to the thousands of rich people who use plastic surgery as a means of manipulating their outward appearance to hide the fact that death is catching them. Finally Beaumont ends the poem reminding us that all of us consciously or sub-consciously try to avoid thinking about or death but the scythe of death finds all and kills all: ‘The proud man beat it from his thought, Yet to this shape all must be brought.’         Shelley’s poem Ozymandias focuses on the fact that as the sands of time go by great works become forgotten and eventually vanish. Ozymandias meaning selfish was an Egyptian king who has been victim ‘the hand’ of the hand of a sculptor that mocks him. This shows that the deeds of those of living are remembered for some time when they die. In this case the selfish deeds of Ozymandias are remembered even after he dies. Ozymandias with ‘the heart that fed’ indulged himself in power, pride and selfishness, still their remains a ‘pedestal’ that says ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on  my works, ye mighty and despair’ but nothing remains for us to despair at for the land is ‘boundless and bare,’ and the literally as well as metaphorical sands have washed any greatness away and ‘The lone and level sands stretch far away.’ Nevertheless whilst Beaumont and Shelley focus on the negatives of death. Tombs and statues are important in that they ensure that great and good men who have done great and good deeds are remembered and not forgotten but as Shelley points out all statues eventually fall. However in the course of time some heroes will always be remembered.