Greek and Roman Myths in the Early Works of P. B. Shelley

This paper explores Greek and Roman myths in the early works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, a poet of intellectual beauty in 19th century English Romanticism. For his romantic ideas of the poetic imagination, liberty, beauty, and love, Shelley alludes to Greek and Roman myths including: primordial deities, Chaos and Demogorgon; Titans, Cronos, Prometheus, Saturn, Ocean, and Atlas; major gods, Jupiter, Hades, Mercury, Apollo, Vulcan, Venus, and Vesta; minor deities, Asia, Proteus,Nereids, Thetis, Dryope, Faunus, Pan, Silenus, Priapus, Oreads, and Aurora; mythological figures, Medea, Hyacinth, Maenads, Hercules, Ganymede,Agave, Atlantides, Pygmalion, Hermaphroditus, Arion, and Tithon; legendary creatures, Cyclops, Typhon, Geryon, Gorgon, Chimaera, Sphinx,Pygmies, Cynocephalies, and Harpies. In relation to this the paper will argue that the mythical technique of manipulating Greek and Roman mythology employed in Shelley’s early works unravels his complicated intentions, deepening his poetic symbolism, and broadening his romantic perspective.