Absolam and Achitophel is written by John Dryden. John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was appointed England's first Poet Laureate in 1668. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.
About Poem
Absalom Achitophel is a celebrated satirical poem by John Dryden, written in heroic couplets and first published in 1681. The poem tells the Biblical tale of the rebellion of Absalom against King David; in this context it is an allegory used to represent a story contemporary to Dryden, concerning King Charles II and the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681). The poem also references the Popish Plot (1678) and the Monmouth Rebellion (1685).The allegory begins by representing England as the Biblical land of Israel, and the Englishmen as the Jews. The group of antagonists in the poem are working against King David, whose modern representation is Charles II. The First Earl of Shaftesbury takes on the role of Achitophel, the leader of this group. He exploits the Anti-Catholicism which was created during the Popish Plot. Achitophel decides that Absalom (in contemporary terms, King Charles’ illegitimate son) is the best candidate to take the throne instead.
Zimri, Shimei, and Corah, followers of Achitophel, are described in detail throughout the conversation between Achitophel and Absalom. This part of the poem distinctly resembles Milton’s Paradise Lost, which also lists what is now known as an epic catalogue.
Thinking Activity
List of characters who favoured King David
and those who were against him.
King David (Charles II)
The third king of Israel. David is a merciful and kind king who does not have a male heir to inherit the throne. As such, the crown will ascend down a “collateral line” after David’s death to his brother. As he has many mistresses, David also has several illegitimate sons, but he loves Absalom the most, and the people of Israel likewise love Absalom and herald him as a national hero. David gives Absalom everything he wants, and he would give him the crown, too, if he could. Over time, however, David’s dishonest counselor, Achitophel, begins to stir up resentment for David and encourages Absalom to rise up against his father to ensure that David’s brother will not ascend the throne. Both Absalom and Achitophel confuse David’s mild nature for weakness, and after David runs out of patience, he is forced to exert his God-given power over the people of Israel and remind Absalom, Achitophel, and the people that he can strike them all down if he chooses. As David speaks to the Jews, a massive crack of thunder is heard through the land, and all of Israel knows David is their rightful king. Dryden’s David is an allegory for King Charles II of England, and like David, Dryden argues that Charles has a divine right to the throne, which Charles’s son, the Duke of Monmouth tried to usurp in Dryden’s time. Dryden was an ardent supporter of the monarchy and Charles II, and his portrayal of David in “Absalom and Achitophel” reflects this support, but he does not depict David as perfect. On the contrary, Dryden is critical of Charles’s leniency and even pokes fun at his rumored promiscuity, but Dryden nevertheless implies that Charles has been chosen by God to be the king of England, and that right cannot be appropriated by Parliament or the people.
Against King DavidSupported king David
CHARACTERS
Corah
Barzillai
Zadoc
Adriel
Jotham
Amiel
Saul
Absalom
Achitophel
Pharaoh
Zimri
Jonas
Ishbosheth
James II
Corah
Corah leads to rebellion against Moses .HeStands for Titus Oates ,who devised the Popish Plot and led to persecutions of Catholics. The most important of Achitophel ’s men. Corah is a priest, although he lies about his rabbinical degree, and he hatches the plot that helps Achitophel discredit David brother's and ingratiate Absalom to the people of Israel. Corah’s memory is impeccable, and his account of the plot never once changes, which is why the Jew believes his fictitious plot. In the Bible, Corah leads a rebellion against Moses, and in Dryden’s poem he represents Titus Oates, the Englishman who engineered the Popish Plot. Like Corah, Oates was a Puritan priest with a dubious rabbinical degree, and members of Parliament put stock into his unbelievable conspiracy because of his perfect memory and ability to tell and retell the plot without discrepancies.
Barzillai
Barzillai lived beyond the Jordan River and sustained David during Absalom's rebellion. He stands for the Duke of Ormonde, a patron of Dryden and one of the most devoted servants of Charles. He accompanied Charles II during his exile and served him faithfully during his misfortunes.
Zadoc
David's friend who carried the Ark of the Covenant into the wilderness; he was then sent back to Jerusalem for God's judgment. He represents William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Adriel
Adriel was the son of Barzillai. Here he stands for John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave. He supported Dryden and opposed Monmouth.
Jotham
Jotham stands for George Savile, Marquis of Halifax, and nephew of Shaftesbury. The Marquis of Halifax had once supported Shaftsbury but, alarmed at his excess, became a supporter of the Court. It was entirely by his eloquence that the Exclusion Bill was defeated in the Lords in 1680.
Saul
Saul was the first king of Israel; he defeated the Philistines in their first battle. He represents Oliver Cromwell, who ruled England after Charles's execution as Lord Protector.In the Bible, Saul favors David over his son Ishabosbeth, and David is forced to go into exile. After Saul dies and Ishbosheth is made king, the Jews are again unhappy with their king and choose David. Saul represents Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the Commonwealth of England after Charles I was executed. Like Ishbosheth taking over from Saul and then being replaced by David, Cromwell’s son reigned for a while after Cromwell’s death before Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. Through Saul and his association to Cromwell, Dryden implies that the English are never quite happy with their king and will find any reason to denounce one and appoint another.
Amiel
Amiel traveled through the wilderness to bring David supplies. He represents Edward Seymour, speaker of the House of Commons and treasurer of the Navy.
Absalom
David's beloved son who rebelled against him; stands for James, the Duke of Monmouth, who sided with the Exclusionists against his father Charles II. He was executed for treason.
Achitophel
David's counselor who betrayed him and encouraged Absalom to rebel against his father. He hanged himself when he saw that the rebellion would not succeed. He represents Anthony Ashley Cooper, the first Earl of Shaftesbury.
Pharaoh
Represents Louis XIV of France.The leader of Egypt and David ’s ally. Like many of the Jews, however, the Pharaoh only pretends to be friendly with David but is really just looking for ways to exploit him and the Jews. In Dryden’s poem, the Pharaoh represents Louis XIV of France. Louis XIV was Catholic, as was most of France, and the Protestants of England saw Charles II’s relationship with Louis XIV as more proof that Charles was really a Catholic like his brother James and was going to force the Protestants to conform to the Catholic religion.
Shimei
The most powerful of Achitophel. Shimei is a dishonest crook who steals and cheats the Jews every chance he gets, but the Jews appoint him as their magistrate anyway. Shimei stacks juries to punish David's supporters and set his enemies free, and during his tenure as magistrate, treason is not a crime. Shimei is one of David’s tormentors in the Bible, and in Dryden’s poem he represents Slingsby Bethel, the sheriff of London and a member of Parliament during Dryden’s time who also supported the Exclusion Bill.
Ishbosheth
Saul ’s son and the king of Israel
briefly before David ’s reign. Dryden mentions Ishbosheth’s short reign before David comes out of exile, but the finicky Jews don’t want Ishbosheth as their king, so they push for David. Ishbosheth represents Oliver Cromwell’s son Richard, who ruled England for a short time between Cromwell’s death and the restoration of Charles II to the throne.
Jonas
One of Achitophel ’s more powerful men who has the ability to manipulate laws. Jonas is a prophet in the Bible, but in Dryden’s poem he represents Sir William Jones, a member of Parliament who prosecuted many of the Catholics falsely accused in the Popish Plot and also supported the Exclusion Bill.
Minor characters
Balaam
One of Achitophel’s men. Balaam is a prophet in the Bible, and in “Absalom and Achitophel” he represents Theophilus Hastings, a Member of Parliament and proponent of the Exclusion Bill.
Caleb
One of Achitophel’s men. Caleb is a spy in the Bible, and in Dryden’s poem he represents Arthur Capel, Earl of Essex, a prominent advocate of the Exclusion Bill.
Nadab
One of Achitophel’s men. In the Bible, Nadab disobeys God and is consumed by fire. In “Absalom and Achitophel,” he represents William, Lord Howard Esrick, a Puritan preacher who supported the Exclusion Bill.
Sagan of Jerusalem
One of David’s loyal men. In the Book of Samuel, Sagan of Jerusalem is a priest, but in “Absalom and Achitophel” he represents Henry Compton, Bishop of London and supporter of Charles II.
Zadock
One of David’s trusted men. According to the Bible, Zadock is the High Priest of Israel, and in Dryden’s poem he represents William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, a supporter of Charles II.
Hushai
One of David’s loyal supporters. In the Bible, Hushai is David’s friend who agrees to spy on Absalom during his rebellion. Here, Hushai represents Lawrence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, who fought against the Exclusion Bill in Parliament.
Amnon
Absalom’s half-brother whom Absalom murders after he rapes Absalom’s sister. David forgives Absalom for the murder of Amnon, which is proof of David’s, thus Charles II’s, mercy and forgiving nature.
Michal / David’s Wife
The Queen of Israel. Michal is also the daughter of Saul, and she and David have no children. She represents Charles II’s wife, Catherine of Braganza; like David and Michal, Charles and Catherine did not have children.
Annabel
Absalom’s wife. She represents the Duke of Monmouth’s wife, Anne, Countess of Buccleuch.
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