ACT 1.
SCENE 1.1.—A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE, BUILT OF THIGH-BONES AND
DEATH’S-HEADS, AND TILED WITH SCALPS. OVER THE ALTAR THE STATUE OF
FAMINE, VEILED; A NUMBER OF BOARS, SOWS, AND SUCKING-PIGS, CROWNED
The Annotated Edition
ACT 1. by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
This is the opening act of Shelley's satirical dramatic poem *Swellfoot the Tyrant* (1820), a biting political comedy that takes aim at King George IV and the corrupt British establishment.
- Themes
- anger, death, identity
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This is the opening act of Shelley's satirical dramatic poem *Swellfoot the Tyrant* (1820), a biting political comedy that takes aim at King George IV and the corrupt British establishment. The scene introduces a grotesque temple made from human bones and skulls, where pigs — representing the oppressed British public — worship the goddess Famine. Shelley is essentially highlighting how the people are being starved and degraded while their rulers indulge in luxury.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE, BUILT OF THIGH-BONES AND DEATH'S-HEADS, AND TILED WITH SCALPS.
Editor's note
The stage direction delivers the first punch. A temple made from human remains is magnificent only in the most horrifying way — Shelley is clearly showing us that Britain's institutions of power are literally built on the bodies of the dead. The use of 'magnificent' is dripping with sarcasm.
OVER THE ALTAR THE STATUE OF FAMINE, VEILED; A NUMBER OF BOARS, SOWS, AND SUCKING-PIGS, CROWNED
Editor's note
Famine is the goddess being worshipped here, shrouded to imply she is a concealed truth that those in power refuse to admit. The pigs — adorned with crowns, making them both absurd and pitiable — symbolize the British people, diminished to mere animals by poverty and poor governance. Crowning them serves as a cruel joke: they hold sovereignty in title only.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
Savage and satirical from the very first word, Shelley writes with the fury of someone who truly believes people are suffering while those responsible are laughing it off. There’s a dark humor in the absurdity of crowned pigs and a temple tiled with scalps, but the underlying anger never wavers. It feels like a political cartoon bursting into life on a stage.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The temple of bones and skulls
- The physical structure of power — church, state, monarchy — is built on the lives lost of ordinary people. Shelley turns this metaphor into something literal and architectural, forcing you to confront it directly.
- The veiled statue of Famine
- Famine, as an unseen goddess, symbolizes how the ruling class intentionally hides widespread poverty. She is revered yet remains unnamed — the veil represents the official denial of a crisis that affects everyone.
- The crowned pigs
- The common people in Britain have been reduced to the status of animals by the very system that purports to represent them. The crowns mock the concept of popular sovereignty—these individuals are superficially honored but are, in reality, confined and exploited.
§06Historical context
Historical context
Shelley wrote *Swellfoot the Tyrant* in 1820, the same year as the political fallout from the Peterloo Massacre and the controversial trial of Queen Caroline, which George IV attempted to dissolve through an Act of Parliament. The play responds directly to that trial and the widespread suffering in post-Napoleonic Britain, where the Corn Laws kept bread prices high while many working-class people faced starvation. At that time, Shelley was living in Italy, in exile from a country he believed had failed its citizens. It was published anonymously and quickly suppressed by the Society for the Suppression of Vice. The work draws on Aristophanic comedy—particularly the use of animals as political symbols—and incorporates imagery of corrupt power from the Book of Revelation.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
It’s a satirical play — more like a political pamphlet turned drama — that ridicules King George IV (Swellfoot), his ministers, and the whole British establishment during the 1820 trial of Queen Caroline. The pigs represent the British people, while the gods and priests symbolize the ruling class.
Shelley drew inspiration from ancient Greek comedy, particularly the works of Aristophanes, where animals represent human groups. In Regency England, "pigs" were often used as a slang insult for the poor, and Shelley flips this idea: if the rulers treat the people like pigs, then pigs they will become — making the rulers appear even more monstrous in contrast.
Famine isn't a traditional goddess; she's a creation of Shelley for this poem. She embodies the harsh reality of hunger brought on by the Corn Laws and poor economic decisions. The veil she wears symbolizes the government's refusal to acknowledge the extent of poverty—it's official denial transformed into something almost sacred.
Shelley turns the metaphor into something tangible and hard to overlook. The claim is that British institutions — including the monarchy, the church, and the legal system — are founded on and perpetuated by the deaths of everyday individuals. By presenting this literally, like a stage set, the audience is compelled to engage with the argument directly.
Almost certainly not during Shelley's lifetime. It was published anonymously in 1820 but was quickly withdrawn after the Society for the Suppression of Vice threatened legal action. For most of its history, it remained a closet drama—intended to be read rather than performed.
Peterloo took place in August 1819, just a year before Shelley penned this work. Cavalry charged into a peaceful gathering that was calling for parliamentary reform, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 individuals. Shelley had already composed *The Masque of Anarchy* as a direct reaction. *Swellfoot* carries that anger forward but shifts it into dark comedy instead of solemn reflection.
Shelley was among the most politically active poets of his time. *Swellfoot* joins *The Masque of Anarchy*, *England in 1819*, and *Queen Mab* in a persistent critique of monarchy, aristocracy, and religious hypocrisy. While those poems are lyrical and heartfelt, *Swellfoot* takes a deliberately grotesque and humorous approach — a different tool from the same toolkit.
It’s presented in a dramatic format, complete with stage directions, acts, and scenes, which makes it a play by definition. However, it was never intended for actual performance — it’s a verse drama rooted in political satire, and most people read it as a poem on the page.
Read next