The Unlikely Prophet: Percy Bysshe Shelley's Biblically Prophetic Tenancies

This dissertation posits the idea that Percy Bysshe Shelley fulfils the characteristics of a biblical prophet. While initially this appears to be a somewhat bizarre assertion it is in the paradoxical aspects of my argument that characteristics of biblical prophecy display themselves. It is Shelley’s opposition to specifically institutional religion that is reminiscent of the biblically prophetic trait of opposing priests, clergymen, temples, and any other feature of religious institutions.

Despite Shelley’s anti-Anglican sentiments, he still utilises the Bible as a means of communicating his own message, which is founded upon philosophy and morals. I explore ideas of counter-presents as being prophetic, to a certain extent as they imagine a present that is not present and therefore, they use change to look to the future. I then move on to discuss the role of temporality more broadly for Shelley and biblical prophecy, resultantly addressing Shelley’s postulations on posterity. I argue that these postulations are indicative of an eternal element of words or messages contained within a work, which aligns Shelley with biblical prophecy.

I use Shelley’s lesser-explored prose writings as a means to understand his reasonings and personal ethics, having established a basis through these essays I then apply the theories to select Shelley poems. In doing this I aim to highlight the parallels not only between biblical prophecy and Shelley’s work but also Shelley’s morals and politics as being biblically prophetic.