In
Tennyson's "," the eponymous king is fairly unabashed when it comes to his opinion of
his subjects, the people of Ithaca. Take, for instance, Ulysses' first description of his
people:
...I mete and dole
Unequal
laws unto a savage race,That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
(3-5)
From this quote, it's clear that Ulysses regards
the people of Ithaca as an uncouth, uncultured rabble. Indeed, according to the king's account,
it would appear that the subjects of the kingdom are more similar to dumb beasts than human
beings. Ulysses underscores this opinion later in the poem when he refers to his subjects once
again, calling them "a rugged people" (37). All in all, it's quite clear that Ulysses
views the people of Ithaca as uncultured bumpkins unworthy of a legendary king such as
himself.
However, there are other layers present in Ulysses' dislike of his
subjects. It would appear, for instance, that much of the king's resentment stems from his
belief that his people "know not me." In other words, Ulysses dislikes his people
because they make no effort to know and respect him as a unique individual. Instead, they simply
view him as a means to security and provision. As such, Ulysses links his lack of individual
fulfillment to his responsibility to care for his subjects, and so he resents the
"rabble" that have forced him to give up a life of glorious adventure.
Considering these two layers, Ulysses begins to seem remarkably insecure. While it's
true that his subjects don't see him as an individual, it's likely that Ulysses similarly does
not know any of them as individuals either, and in this light his despair seems suddenly moody
and unreasonable. All in all, it's possible to see Ulysses' dislike of his people as a misplaced
grudge, one which actually stems from his dislike of his kingly responsibility but which has
been unfairly placed upon the shoulders of Ithaca's citizens.
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