---
Introduction: Why Absalom and Achitophel Still Matters
In every age, literature has been used not only to delight but also to instruct and persuade. Few works capture this union of art and politics as brilliantly as John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel (1681). More than a poem, it is a political weapon—an allegorical satire that defended monarchy at a moment when England teetered on the edge of political upheaval. By blending the authority of biblical narrative with the sharpness of satire, Dryden created a timeless work that resonates far beyond its immediate context.
For modern readers, Absalom and Achitophel is not merely a Restoration poem but a study in how literature can intervene in political crises, shaping public opinion through wit, allegory, and poetic craft. This blog explores the poem’s basic framework, historical significance, literary strategies, and enduring relevance.
---
Basic Information: The Poem at a Glance
Title: Absalom and Achitophel
Author: John Dryden (1631–1700)
John Dryden
First Published: 1681, anonymously
Form: Heroic couplets (rhymed iambic pentameter couplets)
Genre: Political satire / allegorical poem
Subject: The Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681) allegorized through the biblical story of Absalom’s rebellion against King David.
Purpose: To defend King Charles II against his opponents and critique those supporting the succession of his illegitimate Protestant son, the Duke of Monmouth.
The poem, about 1031 lines long, is considered Dryden’s greatest satirical achievement and one of the most brilliant political allegories in English literature.
---
Historical and Political Context: The Exclusion Crisis
Seventeenth-century England was politically unstable, scarred by the memory of civil war and regicide. After the monarchy was restored in 1660, Charles II ruled, but his reign was not free of turmoil. A major crisis erupted around the question of succession: Charles had no legitimate heirs, and his brother, James, Duke of York, was next in line.
The problem? James was openly Catholic, raising fears of Catholic absolutism in Protestant England. A faction known as the Whigs, led by Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury, pushed for the Exclusion Bill, which aimed to bar James from inheriting the throne. In opposition stood the Tories, loyal to hereditary succession and supportive of royal authority.
The Whigs found an alternative figurehead in James Scott, Duke of Monmouth—Charles II’s illegitimate but Protestant son. Popular among the people for his charisma, Monmouth became the “Protestant hope” against a Catholic succession. This conflict, known as the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681), divided the nation.
It is in this volatile climate that Dryden, as Poet Laureate and staunch royalist, composed Absalom and Achitophel, turning poetry into political propaganda.
---
Allegory: The Bible as Political Mirror
Dryden’s genius lies in his allegorical framework. By casting contemporary figures as biblical characters, he elevated the political struggle into a divine narrative:
David (Charles II) – A wise, forgiving king chosen by God, representing Charles as a divinely sanctioned ruler.
Absalom (Duke of Monmouth) – The handsome, popular but illegitimate son of David, mirroring Monmouth’s charm and misguided ambition.
Achitophel (Earl of Shaftesbury) – The cunning advisor who manipulates Absalom into rebellion, representing Shaftesbury’s political scheming.
Zimri (Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers) – Satirized as an inconsistent opportunist, ridiculed for his lack of principle.
Corah (Titus Oates) – Symbolizing the notorious fabricator of the “Popish Plot.”
Shimei (Slingsby Bethel) – Representing a radical sheriff of London known for his anti-monarchist stance.
This allegorical method achieved two goals: it shielded Dryden from direct libel while simultaneously elevating his defense of Charles II into a sacred, biblical register.
---
Themes in Absalom and Achitophel
1. Loyalty vs. Rebellion
Absalom’s betrayal of David dramatizes the dangers of disloyalty. Dryden warns against undermining rightful kingship in favor of ambition.
2. The Divine Right of Kings
By equating Charles II with David, Dryden reinforces the Stuart claim to divine authority, suggesting rebellion is not only political treachery but also spiritual sin.
3. Ambition and Manipulation
Achitophel’s eloquence symbolizes the destructive power of ambition and persuasion, showing how political opportunists exploit youthful vanity.
4. Religious Hypocrisy
The poem ridicules dissenters and radical Protestants, exposing how religion was manipulated for political ends.
5. Order vs. Anarchy
The monarchy represents stability, while rebellion threatens chaos and a return to the horrors of civil war.
---
Dryden’s Literary Style: Satire in Heroic Couplets
The poem’s brilliance lies as much in its form as in its content. Dryden employs heroic couplets—pairs of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter. This form, dignified yet flexible, allowed Dryden to balance elegance with biting satire.
Key features of his style include:
Clarity and Precision – His couplets are aphoristic, memorable, and concise.
Irony and Wit – Characters are praised and ridiculed in the same breath. For example, Zimri is mocked as “a man so various, that he seemed to be / Not one, but all mankind’s epitome.”
Elevated Biblical Tone – Dryden borrows the solemnity of scripture, giving his satire moral weight.
Portraiture – Characters are vividly sketched, blending caricature with psychological depth.
This stylistic mastery ensured the poem was not only persuasive but also a literary triumph.
---
Critical Reception: Then and Now
When first published, Absalom and Achitophel caused a sensation. Royalists applauded it as a brilliant defense of monarchy, while Whigs decried it as vicious propaganda. Shaftesbury himself was reportedly infuriated by his depiction as Achitophel.
Over time, critics have admired the poem as the pinnacle of Dryden’s satirical genius. Samuel Johnson later observed that Dryden “displays all the force of his poetry and all the acuteness of his judgment” in this work (Lives of the Poets, 1779).
Modern scholarship sees the poem as a landmark in political literature. Critics like Paul Hammond (Dryden and the Traces of Classical Rome, 1999) highlight how Dryden blends biblical and classical traditions, while others note its enduring relevance in illustrating how art and politics intersect.
---
Literary Significance
It represents the high point of Restoration satire, blending wit, rhetoric, and politics.
It demonstrates the use of allegory as a political tool, elevating immediate events into universal lessons.
It reflects Restoration anxieties—succession, religion, and political stability—making it a valuable historical document.
It set the standard for later English satirists, influencing Alexander Pope’s The Dunciad and beyond.
---
Conclusion: Poetry as Political Power
Absalom and Achitophel is more than a product of its time; it is a reminder of how literature can shape political consciousness. By reimagining contemporary conflict through biblical allegory, Dryden not only defended Charles II but also demonstrated the enduring power of poetry as propaganda, persuasion, and art.
For today’s readers, the poem continues to speak about ambition, loyalty, and the dangers of manipulation—issues as relevant in modern politics as they were in seventeenth-century England. Dryden’s masterpiece thus stands as both a literary triumph and a political intervention, a work where verse becomes voice in the service of authority.
---
References
1. Dryden, John. Absalom and Achitophel. 1681. (Many modern editions available, e.g., Oxford World’s Classics).
2. Johnson, Samuel. Lives of the English Poets. 1779.
3. Hammond, Paul. Dryden and the Traces of Classical Rome. Oxford University Press, 1999.
4. Winn, James Anderson. John Dryden and His World. Yale University Press, 1987.
5. McElligott, Jason. Royalism, Print and Censorship in Revolutionary England. Boydell Press, 2007.
6. Zwicker, Steven N. Lines of Authority: Politics and English Literary Culture, 1649–1689. Cornell University Press, 1993.
No comments:
Post a Comment