The Masque of Anarchy

The title foreshadows Shelley’s criticism of the English government. The punning on mask and masque refers both to the disguises that the four vice figures wear and the dramatic form masque. The masks of Murder, Fraud, Hypocrisy, and Anarchy prevent the common person from recognizing their political figures as corrupt and devious. In addition, monarchs staged masques to celebrate their reign and reinforce their power. Shelley uses this meaning ironically, underscoring how unworthy these ruling figures are.

The poem begins on a smaller scale, with the poem’s speaker sleeping. The speaker is likely a version of Shelley himself, as Shelley lived in Italy at the time of the Peterloo Massacre and the poem’s argument matches Shelley’s own personal thoughts and feelings.

In his dream, the speaker hears “a voice from over the sea” (Stanza 1). The “great power” (Stanza 1) of the voice suggests that it is likely the voice of the English land, which later speaks to the common English people to inspire them to use nonviolent resistance to cause revolutionary change. The speaker explains how this voice inspires his poem with what he sees.

While on this journey, the speaker sees four figures he calls Murder, Fraud, Hypocrisy, and Anarchy.