Does “Absalom and Achitophel” represent England’s political condition of the 17th century?

“Absalom and Achitophel” is one of the best poems of John Dryden. It is actually a political satire where Dryden talks in support of King Charles II. Absalom, one of the main characters of the poem, actually represents Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of King Charles II. Absalom rebelled against his father King David and Achitophel helped him in this regard. Achitophel represents the Earl of Shaftesbury. The poem beautifully narrates the condition of England at that time. Since, Dryden supported King Charles II, he praised the king in the poem, but this poem has some universal elements. This poem was actually a political pamphlet where Dryden openly supported the King and degraded the Duke of Monmouth.

England’s political situation was not very good. Civil war could take place any time. Achitophel persuaded Absalom that this was the best time to rebel against the King. On the other hand, people who supported the King were also ready for a fight. They will take up arms against Absalom or Duke of Monmouth. Dryden wrote this poem to boost the morale of King’s supporters.

Greed of power is one of the major universal characteristics depicted in this poem. It was a turbulent time in England’s politics. In fact, throughout the 17th century there was political instability in England. The Puritans murdered Charles I, the father of King Charles II and took over power led by Oliver Cromwell. King Charles II was reinstated in 1660 and this event is called restoration. Throughout the reign of King Charles II there was conflict between two main political parties. This is a natural scenario everywhere in the world. Wherever there is king, there are some people who support the king and some who do not but both parties want to go to power.

Religious division remained in England for a long time but the condition grew worse in the 17th century, especially after King Charles II came to power. The Catholics and Protestants were the two main religious groups in England in the 17th Century. Though the Puritans rule the country for some time, they did not have a lasting influence. The Protestants were the majority while Catholics were the minority. On the other hand, King Charles II secretly supported the Catholics. He declared James, his younger brother, as his successor. Though we see it as a religious difference but in a way it is an example of the greed for power. Since, King Charles II did not have any legitimate heir, his younger brother James would become the King. This agitated his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, to rebel against him.

What Dryden repeatedly said in this poem is that the people of a nation should unite. At that time, England and France were sworn enemies. It also had a bad relationship with Holland. Since the people of England were not united, the country’s inner political condition was very critical. There was a big fear of attack from outside. Dryden wanted to say that if there is no unity among people of a nation then it will bring instability. Along with political instability there were also social and economic instability in the country.

The characters depicted in “Absalom and Achitophel” are probably the most important examples of Universal characteristics. The characters of the poem were actually inspired from the Bible. Many important people of the 17th century England had been mentioned in the poem. But such characters can be found in the history of every nation. We can see kings like David or Charles II who had mistresses. There are also people who are foolish and take up arms against their father. There are also people like Achitophel who use their knowledge to bring instability in the society. Dryden nicely depicted these characters in his poem.

The universal appeal of “Absalom and Achitophel” can also be implemented to analyze Bangladesh’s political scenario. For about twenty years we are seeing political instability that divided the people. On one side, there is B.N.P and Awami League on the other. The struggle between these two political parties caused immense suffering to the people of our country. This political instability, in turn created social and economic instability. People are not safe. High price of daily necessity made their lives miserable. All this has been caused by the lack of unity among people. The people of Bangladesh should also learn from “Absalom and Achitophel”. They should unite otherwise the future of the country will be doomed.

“Absalom and Achitophel” is a great poem and is considered to be one of the best political satires of English literature. Dryden tried his best to depict the reality though this poem although he supported King Charles II. Sometime he even praised the Duke of Monmouth. We all should read this poem and learn from this poem.