Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden.

 Here is my blog this blog is the part of my Classroom activity that given by our prof. Dilip Barad sir.

#While reading the original poem, what were the aspect of the poem which attracted or charmed or surprised.

Temptation scene:

Absalom, the illegitimate child of King David was prompted by Achitophrel, the earl of Shaftesbury to fight for the throne and take over the throne from king David, Absalom's father. With studied flattery and art, Achitophrel begins a long temptation speech to seduce Absalom to this rebellious cause.

This temptation scene even resemble Paradise lost by John Milton in some respect. Both employ a grate deal of flattery. While in Paradise lost, Satan persuades Beelzebub and other arch-angels to stand up for the rightful cause, here Achitophrel who is allegorically Anthony Ashley Cooper tempts the gullible Absalom to take over the throne from his fathe, so that king David does not give the throne to king James, who is king David's brother and thereby an obvious heir to the throne. He exaggerates the qualities of Absalom:

"The young-Mens Vision, and the old men's Dream! Thee, Saviour, Thee, the Nation's vows confus".

He compares Absalom with God. Achitophel makes Absalom blind for power. Achitophel does so because he was bereft of the lord chancellor ship position once by king David and so it was Achitophel's way of ruling through the illegitimate child of King David, who is Absalom's list for power and disobedience towards his father brings his fall. His innocence is lost because of achitophel who urges Absalom to;

"Commit a pleasing rape upon the Crown".

# List down the 'vices' which are supposed tobe 'Corrected' through this 'satire'.

“the true end of satire is the amendment of vices by correction,” and “Absalom and Achitophel” is an attempt to that end. Through the use of satire and allegory in “Absalom and Achitophel,” Dryden ultimately argues that the Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis were devious ploys to divert the rightful order of succession and prevent James II from ascending the throne.

Through the deceit of Achitophel, a politician who sows dissention among the Jews, Dryden allegorizes the Popish Plot and implies the fabricated plot is merely an attempt to breed strife between David and the government, or, figuratively, between Parliament and Charles II of England. In Israel, metaphorically England, the “Good Old Cause revive[s] a plot” to “raise up commonwealths and ruin kings.” The “Good Old Cause” is a reference to the Puritan Rebellions of the English Civil War (1642–1651), which pitted King Charles I, who was supported by the Catholics, against Parliament, which was supported by the Puritans, a form of Protestantism. The war was a victory for Parliament; Charles I was executed and the Commonwealth of England was created. The monarchy was restored in 1660, and Charles II ascended the throne. With this reference, Dryden implies that the Popish Plot is little more than a revival of the Good Old Cause and an attempt to dethrone a king. In the poem, rumor begins to spread that King David’s life is “Endangered by a brother and wife. / Thus in a pageant show, a plot is made, / And peace itself is war in masquerade.”

Titus Oates, a priest of the Church of England and the mastermind of the Popish Plot, accused Charles’s brother James and Charles’s wife, Queen Catherine, of involvement in the plot against Charles. Dryden suggests that Oates’s claims are nonsense—the plot is a “pageant show,” a charade—and such claims amount to a “war in masquerade,” as the desired outcome, to remove a man who is destined to be king out of royal succession, is similar to that of the English Civil War.

Ultimately, the plot fails “for want of common sense,” but it has a “deep and dangerous consequence.” The Popish Plot, Dryden implies, was destined to fail because it completely lacked wisdom. However, the paranoia and anti-Catholic sentiments the plot churned up led directly to the Exclusion Crisis, which again pitted Parliament against the king. Members of Parliament pushed for James to be removed from royal succession, and Charles adamantly supported his brother.

#Who Favoured king David(Charles II) and those who were against him.

Favoured King:-

Absalom(Monmouth)

Saul(Richard)

Barzillai(James Butler)

Barzillai's Eldest Son( Thomas Butler)

Jothan(George Savile)

Amiel( Edward Seymour)

Zadox( William Sancroft).

Against the king:

Achitophel (Shaftesbury)

Zimri(George Villiers)

Shimei(Slinasby Bethel)

Corah(Titus Oates)

Jonas(Sir William Jones)

The Pharaoh(Louis XIV)

#What sort of general impression of those sort of literature do you get when your read it.

Absalom and Achitophel is a landmark political satire by Dryden. Dryden marks his satire with a concentrated and convincing poetic style. His satiric verse is majestic, what Pope calls:"The long majestic mirch and energy divine". Critic have unanimously remarked on Dryden's capacity to transform the trivial into the poetical; personal envy into the fury pf imaginative creation. Dryden shows himself a master both of the Horatian and  the Juvenalian styles of Satire.

Dryden called Absalom and Achitophel 'a poem' and not a satire, implying thereby that it had elements other than purely satirical. one cannot, for instance, ignore the obvious epic or heroic touches in it. 

All the same, the poem originated in the political situation of England at the time and one cannot fail to note that several political personalities are satirized in it. Published  in November 1681, the theme was suggested by the king to Dryden. At this time, the question of succession to king Charles had assumed great importance. The Earl of Shaftesbury had been thrown into prison to face a charge of high treason. There were two contenders for the succession. Firstly, Charles brother James, Duke of York, a known Roman Catholic, the second contender was Charles illegitimate son, the protestant Duke of Monmouth. The Whigs supported Monmouth while the Tories supported the cause of James in order to ensure stability in the country. There was great public unrest on account of the uncertainty of succession. King Charles II saw to it that the exclusion bill brought before parliament, to exclude the succession of his brother James, could not be pushed through. The earl of Shaftesbury, a highly ambitious man, sought to capitalise on this unrest. He also urged Monmouth to rebel against his father. The king, though find of his illegitimate son, did not support his succession because that would have been against law. The Earl of Shaftesbury was arrested on a charge of high treason and lost popular support.

Words-1079.