Shelley’s Impossible Revolution: Representations of Revolution in “the Mask of Anarchy” and the Cenci
Shelley’s Impossible Revolution:
Representations of Revolution in “The Mask of Anarchy” and The Cenci
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major British poets during a time of civil and political unrest. In his 1819 poem, “The Mask of Anarchy,” Shelley advocates for a peaceful revolution, based on principles of science, poetry and justice. But his play, The Cenci, seems to subvert this idea, illustrating that chances of any revolution are bleak in the face of tyranny. The hyperbolic and mythological language and imagery used in “The Mask of Anarchy,” along with the tragic and unfair ending of The Cenci, suggest that Shelley’s ideals of true revolution only exist in theory, since they fail miserably when put into practice in The Cenci.
In “The Mask of Anarchy,” Shelley portrays the English ruling powers negatively, drawing attention to how members of government create and support a political system he labels anarchical. Shelley wrote “The Mask of Anarchy” in 1819 in response to the Battle of Peterloo, during which English military authorities charged into a large crowd of protesters, killing and wounding many civilians. “The Mask of Anarchy,” which Shelley presents as a dream, is an allegory for the dangers of using violence to fight violence. He begins by personifying Murder, Fraud, and Hypocrisy, who are all lead by the personification of Anarchy. Seven dogs accompany Murder: “All were fat; and well they might / Be in admirable plight, / For one by one, and two by two, / He tossed the human hearts to chew” (l. 9-12). He labels Murder as the Viscount Castlereagh, British Foreign Secretary. Murder’s seven dogs represent the seven nations who had recently signed an alliance that preserved slavery (p. 316). A tearful Fraud follows Murder and his dogs: “His big tears, for he wept well, / Turned to mill-stones as they fell. / And the little children, who / Round his feet played to and fro, / Thinking every tear a gem, / Had their brains knocked out
Representations of Revolution in “The Mask of Anarchy” and The Cenci
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major British poets during a time of civil and political unrest. In his 1819 poem, “The Mask of Anarchy,” Shelley advocates for a peaceful revolution, based on principles of science, poetry and justice. But his play, The Cenci, seems to subvert this idea, illustrating that chances of any revolution are bleak in the face of tyranny. The hyperbolic and mythological language and imagery used in “The Mask of Anarchy,” along with the tragic and unfair ending of The Cenci, suggest that Shelley’s ideals of true revolution only exist in theory, since they fail miserably when put into practice in The Cenci.
In “The Mask of Anarchy,” Shelley portrays the English ruling powers negatively, drawing attention to how members of government create and support a political system he labels anarchical. Shelley wrote “The Mask of Anarchy” in 1819 in response to the Battle of Peterloo, during which English military authorities charged into a large crowd of protesters, killing and wounding many civilians. “The Mask of Anarchy,” which Shelley presents as a dream, is an allegory for the dangers of using violence to fight violence. He begins by personifying Murder, Fraud, and Hypocrisy, who are all lead by the personification of Anarchy. Seven dogs accompany Murder: “All were fat; and well they might / Be in admirable plight, / For one by one, and two by two, / He tossed the human hearts to chew” (l. 9-12). He labels Murder as the Viscount Castlereagh, British Foreign Secretary. Murder’s seven dogs represent the seven nations who had recently signed an alliance that preserved slavery (p. 316). A tearful Fraud follows Murder and his dogs: “His big tears, for he wept well, / Turned to mill-stones as they fell. / And the little children, who / Round his feet played to and fro, / Thinking every tear a gem, / Had their brains knocked out
Cited: Shelley, Percy Bysshe, Donald H. Reiman, and Neil Fraistat. "The Cenci." Shelley 's Poetry and Prose: Authoritative Texts, Criticism. New York: Norton, 2002. 316-25. Print. Shelley, Percy Bysshe, Donald H. Reiman, and Neil Fraistat. "The Mask of Anarchy." Shelley 's Poetry and Prose: Authoritative Texts, Criticism. New York: Norton, 2002. 316-25. Print.