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Worksheet on Absalom and Achitophel by Dryden
Power, Politics, and Poetry: John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel
Introduction:
In a time of political chaos and national uncertainty, John Dryden turned to poetry not just to tell a story, but to defend a king and critique a rebellion. Published in 1681, Absalom and Achitophel is more than a literary work it is a bold, satirical response to the real political crisis shaking 17th-century England. Dryden skillfully blends biblical allegory with sharp political commentary, turning real-life figures into dramatic characters in a poetic battle of loyalty, ambition, and betrayal.
Set against the backdrop of the Exclusion Crisis, the poem uses the story of King David and his rebellious son Absalom to comment on King Charles II’s struggles with his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, and the manipulative politician, the Earl of Shaftesbury. Through heroic couplets and rich symbolism, Dryden defends the monarchy, warns against the dangers of civil unrest, and cleverly critiques those who sought to change the royal succession.
This blog post will guide you through the key elements of Absalom and Achitophel from its historical context and allegorical characters to its central themes and literary style making it easier to appreciate this powerful blend of politics and poetry.
About John Dryden: The Father of English Satire
As Poet Laureate and Historiographer Royal, Dryden became the official spokesman of the monarchy. He perfected the heroic couplet, using it to craft works that combined wit, balance, and rhetorical force. His writing spans a wide range: biting satires Absalom and Achitophel, Mac Flecknoe, critical essays An Essay of Dramatic Poesy, heroic dramas All for Love, and translations of Virgil, Juvenal, and others.
Dryden’s greatest achievement lies in his ability to blend politics and poetry. In works like Absalom and Achitophel, he transformed immediate political crises into enduring literary allegories. His influence on later satirists Pope, Swift, and Johnson secured his reputation as the leading poet, critic of the Restoration and the true architect of modern English satire.
Introduction of poem
The poem belongs to the genre of verse satire. Unlike light mockery, Dryden’s satire carried weight and purpose. Absalom and Achitophel was not simply entertainment but a deliberate political intervention. By casting contemporary English figures into biblical roles, Dryden elevated immediate events into allegory, giving his defense of monarchy both literary dignity and lasting relevance.
Because of the poem’s success and the continuing political tensions, a Second Part was published in 1682. This continuation was mostly composed by Nahum Tate, a lesser known poet of the time, yet it contained around 200 lines by Dryden himself. These additional verses are especially famous for their satirical brilliance, as Dryden turned his pen against prominent literary and political adversaries, ridiculing them with wit and precision. Through both parts, Dryden established himself as the unrivaled master of satire in Restoration England.
Historical and Political Context
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The Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681)
At the heart of the poem lies the Exclusion Crisis, a political struggle in which the Whigs sought to exclude James, Duke of York brother and heir to King Charles II from the line of succession because he had converted to Roman Catholicism. Fear of a Catholic monarch threatened to destabilise the kingdom, and the crisis divided Parliament, the court, and the people. Dryden’s poem directly addresses this episode, presenting it through biblical allegory to show the dangers of rebellion against the rightful king.
The Popish Plot (1678)
The climate of suspicion was heightened by the fabricated Popish Plot of 1678, a conspiracy theory invented by Titus Oates that alleged Catholics were planning to assassinate King Charles II. Though entirely false, the story created mass hysteria, fueled anti-Catholic sentiment, and provided the Whigs with ammunition to push their cause. In Absalom and Achitophel, Dryden alludes to this atmosphere of paranoia, portraying how lies and manipulation could endanger national stability.
The Monmouth Rebellion (1685)
Although written in 1681, Dryden’s poem also resonates with the later Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, when the Duke of Monmouth, Charles II’s illegitimate but Protestant son, attempted to seize the throne after his father’s death. Monmouth’s failed rebellion tragically echoed the warnings embedded in Dryden’s poem: ambition and factional manipulation led only to bloodshed and ruin.
Political Motivation
Dryden’s political purpose in writing Absalom and Achitophel was clear. As Poet Laureate and defender of the Stuart monarchy, he sought to preserve the succession of the Duke of York against the exclusionary attempts of the Whigs. The poem was written at a time when revolution seemed a real possibility, and Dryden used his literary authority to argue that resisting the lawful line of succession was both dangerous and morally wrong. In this way, Absalom and Achitophel functioned as both art and propaganda an elegant defense of royal power in an age of unrest.
The Allegorical Framework
One of the most striking features of Absalom and Achitophel is Dryden’s masterful use of biblical allegory. Rather than writing a straightforward political pamphlet, he rooted his satire in the timeless authority of scripture, giving his poem both dignity and persuasive power. By retelling a biblical story in the context of Restoration England, Dryden turned current politics into an enduring moral drama.
The Biblical Foundation
Dryden draws his framework from 2 Samuel, chapters 13–19, which narrate the rebellion of Absalom, King David’s beloved son, against his father. Handsome, popular, and ambitious, Absalom is persuaded by his false friend Achitophel to lead a revolt against the king. Though Absalom temporarily wins support, the rebellion fails, and he meets a tragic end. For Dryden, this biblical episode provided the perfect parallel to the crisis facing England.
Contemporary Equivalents
Dryden’s genius lay in mapping the biblical figures onto real political actors of his time, enabling his readers to see the dangers of rebellion through a sacred lens:
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David = King Charles II
Like David, Charles is portrayed as a wise, patient, and God-ordained ruler, facing disobedience from within his own “family.” -
Absalom = James, Duke of Monmouth
Charles’s illegitimate but Protestant son, Monmouth was charming, popular, and favoured by many as an alternative heir. Just as Absalom was drawn into rebellion against David, Monmouth was persuaded to challenge the rightful succession. -
Achitophel = Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury, a leading Whig and fierce opponent of Catholic succession, plays the role of the cunning advisor. Like the biblical Achitophel, he manipulates the younger man’s ambition, becoming the true villain of the piece.
Through this allegorical mapping, Dryden ensured his poem resonated with both the educated elite and the broader reading public, who were familiar with the biblical story.
The Question of Monmouth’s Legitimacy
A crucial aspect of the allegory is the uncertain legitimacy of the Duke of Monmouth. His mother, Lucy Walter, had been a mistress of Charles II, and rumours persisted that Charles had secretly married her—a claim that, if true, would make Monmouth a legitimate heir. Since Charles and his queen, Catherine of Braganza, produced no children, this uncertainty gave political weight to the idea of Monmouth as an alternative successor. Dryden exploits this ambiguity in the poem: Absalom/Monmouth is presented as a beloved son, yet fatally flawed by ambition and misled by Achitophel/Shaftesbury.
Allegory as Satire and Warning
Dryden’s allegorical design allowed him to do two things at once:
Satirise : the Whigs and their leaders, portraying them as biblical rebels against divine order.
Warn: the nation that to support Monmouth against Charles II’s chosen successor (the Duke of York) was to repeat the tragic error of Absalom’s rebellion.
In this way, the allegory transformed a contemporary political struggle into a universal lesson about loyalty, ambition, and divine authority.
Key Themes
Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel is more than a political pamphlet in verse; it is a poem that weaves together themes of politics, religion, and human ambition into a tightly crafted satire. Its enduring power lies in the way these themes intersect to create a moral and political commentary relevant both in its time and beyond.
1. Politics, Allegory, and Satire
Politics is the heartbeat of the poem. Written at the height of the Exclusion Crisis, Absalom and Achitophel is both a commentary on contemporary events and a brilliant act of political persuasion. Dryden’s innovation lay in how he framed politics within a biblical allegory: Charles II as King David, Monmouth as Absalom, Shaftesbury as Achitophel. This mapping allowed Dryden to elevate a political quarrel into a universal moral conflict, casting rebellion as not merely unlawful but unnatural and sinful.
The satirical edge of the poem is equally vital. Satire here is not light-hearted mockery but biting exposure. Achitophel/Shaftesbury is portrayed as dangerous, cunning, and self-serving; Monmouth/Absalom, though admired, is shown as tragically misguided. Through polished heroic couplets, Dryden’s satire is sharp yet controlled—he balances wit with moral seriousness. In doing so, he transformed political poetry into a powerful weapon of royalist propaganda.
2. God, Religion, and the Divine Right of Kings
The poem’s religious undertone reflects the Restoration belief in the divine right of kings, the doctrine that monarchs rule by God’s will. By paralleling Charles II with King David, Dryden suggests that the king is God’s chosen ruler, and any attempt to overthrow or bypass him is a rebellion not only against the state but against divine order itself.
Religion here is not presented abstractly but as a source of political legitimacy. The memory of civil war and regicide (the execution of Charles I in 1649) haunted England; Dryden invokes biblical precedent to argue that challenging the monarch leads only to disorder, violence, and divine punishment. In this way, the poem reassures readers that obedience to the king aligns with obedience to God.
3. Power and Ambition
The theme of ambition pulses throughout the poem, making it not only a political allegory but also a study of human weakness. Absalom/Monmouth is portrayed as a prince torn between loyalty to his father and the seductive call of power. Though he is loved by David/Charles and admired by the people, his tragic flaw is his susceptibility to flattery and manipulation.
Achitophel/Shaftesbury, by contrast, embodies ambition in its purest, most corrosive form. He seeks power not for the good of the nation but for his own advancement, using persuasion and deceit to lure Absalom into rebellion. Dryden suggests that such ambition cloaked in noble rhetoric is the greatest threat to the kingdom.
The poem thus becomes a cautionary tale: ambition leads to ruin not only for individuals but also for nations. In this sense, Absalom and Achitophel resonates far beyond its historical moment, exploring a theme as old as politics itself.
Genre Study
Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel is not just a political statement it is also a landmark in the development of English satire. Its artistry lies in the way Dryden fuses politics with poetry, shaping a form that influenced generations of writers after him.
Verse Satire at Its Finest
The poem is a celebrated example of verse satire, a genre that uses wit, irony, and ridicule to expose human folly and vice. Before Dryden, satire in England often appeared in prose pamphlets or scattered poetic lampoons. With Absalom and Achitophel, satire was elevated to the status of high art. Dryden gave satire a formal polish, rhetorical power, and moral seriousness that earned him the title of the “father of English satire.”
The Heroic Couplets
Dryden’s chosen medium was the heroic couplet—pairs of rhymed iambic pentameter lines. This form, which he perfected, gave his verse clarity, rhythm, and bite. The couplet allowed Dryden to pack arguments into compact, memorable lines, alternating balance with wit. The rhythm of the couplets mirrored the logic of debate, making satire persuasive as well as poetic. Later satirists, especially Alexander Pope, built on Dryden’s mastery of this form.
Satire with a Purpose
Unlike playful or purely personal satire, Dryden’s poem carried serious political intent. It was written to defend the monarchy during a genuine threat of revolution. By disguising real people as biblical figures, Dryden could attack his opponents with wit while appearing to draw lessons from sacred history. This dual function—entertainment and persuasion—gave the poem wide impact in its own day.
Mock,Heroic and Allegorical Mode
The poem also makes use of mock-heroic strategies, elevating a political quarrel to the level of a biblical epic. In doing so, Dryden both dignifies the king and exposes the rebels’ ambitions as absurd. The allegorical mode—casting Shaftesbury as Achitophel and Monmouth as Absalom—was not simply clever, but essential: it gave the poem authority, rooting satire in biblical precedent.
Influence and Legacy
The genre of political satire was reshaped by Absalom and Achitophel. It set a standard for later poets and critics by showing that satire could be simultaneously literary and politically effective. Writers such as Pope (The Dunciad), Swift (A Tale of a Tub), and Samuel Johnson (The Vanity of Human Wishes) inherited Dryden’s model of sharp, morally grounded satire.
Absalom and Achitophel is a masterpiece of Restoration satire, combining biting wit, allegory, and polished form. It shows how poetry can serve both as a literary achievement and as a political political weapon.
Character Studies
Dryden uses the story of David, Absalom, and Achitophel from the Bible to reflect the politics of his own time. Each character is both a biblical figure and a symbol of someone real in 17th-century England.
Absalom (James Scott, Duke of Monmouth)
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In the Bible, Absalom is King David’s handsome, charming, and much-loved son, admired by the people for his looks and bravery.
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In Dryden’s allegory, Absalom represents the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate but Protestant son of King Charles II.
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Just like Absalom, Monmouth was popular among the English people, who saw him as a possible Protestant heir.
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Dryden shows him as well-meaning but weak, easily carried away by ambition and the flattery of others. His mistake is not his love for the people, but his failure to resist dangerous advice.
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Absalom’s rebellion, then, becomes a symbol of how personal desire can be twisted into a political crisis.
Achitophel (Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury)
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In the Bible, Achitophel is a trusted advisor of King David who betrays him by supporting Absalom’s rebellion.
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Dryden compares him to Shaftesbury, the leader of the Exclusion movement who wanted to prevent James, Duke of York, from inheriting the throne.
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Achitophel is painted as cunning, clever with words, and dangerously persuasive. He is not motivated by love for Absalom, but by his own political gain.
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Dryden criticises him as the kind of politician who puts personal ambition over loyalty and stability, someone who uses religion and “freedom” only as excuses to stir up rebellion.
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Through Achitophel, Dryden warns readers of the danger of false counsellors who can corrupt even noble young leaders.
David (King Charles II)
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In the Bible, David is the king chosen by God, a ruler who combines power with wisdom and mercy.
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In Dryden’s poem, David represents King Charles II.
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Dryden describes him as a calm, patient, and forgiving king, who avoids bloodshed even when betrayed. This fits Dryden’s view of Charles as a king trying to keep peace in a divided nation.
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David is also shown as the symbol of the divine right of kings: his rule is not just political but God-given, making rebellion against him a kind of sin.
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While Absalom and Achitophel represent disorder and ambition, David stands for stability, authority, and forgiveness.
Corah → Titus Oates: The man behind the false Popish Plot, spreading lies against Catholics.
Amiel → Edward Seymour: Speaker of the House of Commons, representing Parliament’s voice.
Barzillai → Duke of Ormond: A loyal supporter of the King, respected for his wisdom.
Jotham → Lord Halifax (George Savile): A moderate politician, known for balance and caution.
Ithiel and Hushai → Loyal counsellors of King David (Charles II), representing his supporters.
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