Alien: Covenant - 20 Easter Eggs & References You Must See

13. Ozymandias

David's apparent obsession with Shelley's poem Ozymandias is a pretty important part of the narrative - particularly as his incorrect assumption that Byron wrote it proves he isn't perfect.

It basically offers foreshadowing for David's eventual fate - as well as mapping out the over-riding narrative of both Prometheus and Covenant. In both cases, the narrative deals with the idea of a creator race with pretensions of greatness (as if their creations confirm their own perfection) inevitably destroying themselves.

By quoting the poem as a sort of celebratory mantra at having destroyed the Engineers - and aiming his target at humanity - David ends up himself being guilty of hubris, and we're immediately reminded that he won't last either, despite his God complex.