Percy Shelley: Poems Lesson Plan

What is the role of the Destructions in “The Mask of Anarchy”?

Within the narrative plot of the poem the Destructions are the antagonists. They fuel the drama of the first half of the poem and further the plot. Looking more broadly, the Destructions are a metaphor for the issues plaguing England at the time Shelley wrote the poem. Though a malignant group led by Anarchy was not marching across the country leaving death in it’s wake, it is true that famine and unemployment were rampant, resulting in death. The common people blamed the hard times on a corrupt and unrepresentative Parliament. Thus, it’s possible that the Destructions are stand-ins for the real-life leaders and...