Absalom and achitophel

Absalom and achitophel :-John Dryden 

 I am going to talk about the characters in the poem Absalom and achitophel in who are favoured King David ( Charles ll) and those who are against him.

About poem :-

Absalom and 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 ll and the Exclusion crisis (1679 - 1681). The poem also references the Polish Plo by (1678) and the Monmouth Rebellion (1685).

 King David :-

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 with ascend down a "collateral line " after David's death to his brother. As he has several illegitimate some, but he loves Absalom the most, and the people of Israel like wise 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 excerpt his God given power  over the people of Israel and remind Absalom, achitophel, and the people that he can strick 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 ll  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 ll, and his portrayal of David in  " Absalom and achitophel" reflects this support, but he does not depict David as perfect. On the contrary, Dryden in critical of Charles's leniency and even pokes fun at his rumoured 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.

King David 

"But when to sin ous baised nature learns,

The careful devil's still at hand with means 

And providently pimps for I'll desires:

The good old cause revived a plot requires 

Plots, true or false, are necessary things

To raise up commonwealths and ruin kings."

Make a list of character who were favoured King

David and those who were against him ?

Favoured Charles ll

 

 - Absalom

 - Saul

 - David's brother

 - Ishbosheth

 - Barzillai's Eldest son

 - Jotham

 - Amiel

 - Barzillai

 - Zodock

 - The Sagan of Jerusalem

 - Adriel

 - Hushai

 - Amnon

 - Michal

Against Charles ll

- Absalom

- Achitophel

- Corah

- Shimei

- Zimri

- The pharaoh

- Jonas

- Balaam

- Caleb

- Nadab

 Detail in characters :-

 

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 ll.  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. Ha represents Anthony Ashley Cooper, the first Earl of Shaftesbury.

 

Corah :-

Corah led a rebellion against Moses. He stands for Titus Oates, who devised the polish plot and led the persecution of Catholics.

Zimri :-

Two biblical  figures represents Zimri : a murderer in numbers,and a usurping murderer in l Kings. He is an allegory of George Villiers, the second Duke of Bucki gham.

Shimei :-

A man who curses David. He represents slingsby  Bethel, a Sheriff of London and Middlesex.

Jonas :-

Jonas or Jonah , he represents Sir William Jones the attorney general. He prosecuted Catholics in the early stages of the Polish Plot, became a member of parliament, and supported the Exclusion Bill.

Nadab :- 

Aaron's  eldest son; he was an idolater. He represents William,Lord Haward of Esrick, a puritan preacher.

Balaam :-

A prophet who ignored God. He represents Theophilus Hastings.

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.

Jotham :-

Jotham stands for George Savile, Marquis of Halifax, and nephew of Shaftesbury. The Marquis of Halifax had once supported Shaftesbury 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.

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