The Proud King by William Morris is a poem about a king named
Jovinian. He woke very early in the morning and thought of all his
glories, wealth and status; he asked himself "What need have I for
temple or for priest/ Am I not God, whiles that I live at least."
(line 27-28).
He went back to sleep and woke when the day has properly broke. He
decided to go hunting with his servants but while he was swimming in a
river and angel took his robe and horse and started acting like him.
For two day he was naked not even recognised by everyone he
approached; he was mock, maltreated and called a mad man
He only regained his position when he repented and became sober.
The themes of the poem are as follows:
(1) The theme of Fear: King Jovinian was a no nonsense king and
whenever he speaks, no other dare speak; "From dusk to dawn kept many
a lord awake/ For fear of him did many a great man quake" (line 6-7)
And when he makes mistake, he "knew that none durst say_ when he did
wrong" (line 21). Later in the poem, fearless king Jovinian began to
fear the lost of all his possessions, and also began to fear God in
line 606 he says "Lord God, what bitter things are these?"
(2) The theme of Pride: The poem is centered round the king's pride
and how his pride almost cost him all he has had. Even his pride made
people to fear him unnecessarily; "But at the dais must he sit alone/
Nor durst a man speak to him for his life" (in lines 10-11) and his
pride made him referred to himself as God; "What need have I for
temple or for priest/ Am I not God, whiles that I live at least."
(line 27-28).
(3) The theme of Supremacy: The poet proves that the supremacy of God
is far better than that of the King Jovinian. Jovinian's supremacy
makes him maintain fear and respect for his positions and possessions
but the supremacy of God ripped him off his position, shamed him and
made him worth nothing in the eyes of everyone; "The hot sun sorely
burned his naked skin" (in line 100). The angel finally revealed
himself to King Jovinian from line 719-728:
"And now he spoke, "O King, be not dismayed
Or think my coming here so strange to be,
For oft ere this have I been close to thee.
And now thou knowest in how short a space
The God that made the world can unmake thee
And though He alter in no whit thy face
Can make all folk forget thee utterly
That thou to-day a nameless wretch mayst be
Who yesterday woke up without a peer
The wide world's marvel and people's fear."
(4) The theme of Repentance: Without repentance, the proud king
wouldn't have regain his position and wealths. King Jovinian's began
to surface in the poem in different forms. He began to wear heart of
regret; "Muttered, I wish the day would ne'er come back/ If all that
once I had I now must lack" (line 333-334) in his regrets, he still
has hope for "the fresh morning air/ The rising sun, and all things
fresh and fair/ Yet caused some little hope in him to rise" (in lines
347-349) and at a certain point he narrated his plight to Christopher
a-Green from line 365-370:
"And asked him of his name and misery;
Then in his throat a swelling passion rose,
Which yet he swallowed down, and, "Friend," said he,
"Last night I had the hap to meet the foes
Of God and man, who robbed me, and with blows
Stripped off my weed and left me on the way:"
When King Jovinian became so confused in his state of nothingness, he
called on God in line 435-436; "Ah, God!" said he, "is this another
earth/ From that whereon I stood two days ago?" he further begged God
from line 605-609 "Saying, "Lord God, what bitter things are these?/
What hast thou done, that every man that sees/ This wretched body, of
my death is fain?/ O Lord God, give me back myself again!".
(5) The theme of Arrogance: King Jovinian's arrogance went far even in
his situation of penury, he was arrogantly approaching the nobles; he
was banging the palace gate with a very heavy stone in line 143-144
"He hurdled himself against the mighty gate/ And beat upon it madly
with a stone" and in line 215-217, he was shouting at the ranger;
"Armies will rise up when I nod my head/ Slay me! _or cast thy
treachery away/ And have anew my favour from this day."
(6) The theme of Vanity and Death: The Proud King realised that all
human possessions without God is vain. He realised such when he met
his queen, she didnt recognize him, the duke didnt recognize him, the
soldiers didnt recognize, the Father that used to know him didnt
recognize him, he was wandering with beggars and low-lives. At point
of death feared that his fame and glories and possessions will turn to
vain; "Or else is this the ending of my life/ And no man henceforth
shall remember me/ And a vain name in records shall I be." (line
460-462). The Proud King made mockery of his dead ancestor beause he
believed he would never die "But he, who seldom yet had seen death
near/ Or heard his name, said, "Still I may not die/ Though underneath
the earth my fathers lie/ My sire indeed was called a mighty king/ Yet
in regard of mine, a little" but Jovinian also died.
