‘Ozymandias’: Shelley’s Poem of Hubris, in ‘Breaking Bad’ and Beyond
New Mexico’s desert is the backdrop for the latest use of the poem, “Ozymandias” (Photo: Dennis Larson/Flickr)
The teaser trailer for the final episodes of the TV show “Breaking Bad” is set to shots of the New Mexico desert. It’s paired with the show’s lead character, Walter White, reading the poem, “Ozymandias,” by 19th century British poet Percy Bysshe Shelley–a poem cautioning against hubris. Good choice, “Breaking Bad.” But you’re hardly the first to use it.
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