Absalom and Achitophel is considered one of the best political satires written by John Dryden. This poem was written against the backdrop of England’s unstable political situation. It is assumed that the contemporary king, Charles II, personally requested Dryden to write this poem because, at that time, the trial of Achitophel (symbolizing the Earl of Shaftesbury) was going on. However, during this period, many leaders of the weak political party and Protestant leaders in England were seeking to remove King Charles II from the throne and place the Duke of Monmouth on it. The main reason behind this was the fear that after King Charles II, his brother James (Duke of York) would ascend to the throne, and James was a staunch follower of the Catholic faith. On the other hand, the Duke of Monmouth (representing Absalom in the poem), the illegitimate son of King Charles II, was a supporter of the Protestant religion.
Achitophel, with the support of his allies, was planning to rebel against the king, and they needed a leader. However, the dilemma was that the leader must not be someone who aspires to be king because becoming a king requires carrying royal blood in his veins. Therefore, despite Absalom, or Duke of Monmouth, being the illegitimate son of the king, he still carries the royal blood of King Charles II in his veins. So, their intention was to save the Duke of Monmouth, and for this reason, Achitophel tried various ways to make Absalom understand. One remarkable aspect of Dryden’s portrayal is that although Achitophel was the king’s greatest enemy, Dryden acknowledged his brilliance. According to Dryden, Achitophel embodies both greatness and madness. Achitophel initially tried to convince Absalom through flattery. He told him that England’s fortune is such that a person like Absalom is born, and Absalom’s destiny is to accomplish great things, blessed by God. Simultaneously, Achitophel also attempted to make Absalom understand that the reign of King David or King Charles II is coming to an end, and now, like his predecessor, King Charles II is ruling the country with wisdom and skill.
As a result, Absalom became somewhat conflicted in his thoughts. However, Absalom was the most beloved son of King David or King Charles II. David had forgiven him for many things and bestowed him with much honor. Therefore, a sense of uncertainty arose in Absalom’s mind, and he tells Achitophel that David is not a bad king now but a very good king. It is God’s command that since David does not have any legitimate heir after him, his brother, the Duke of York, will be the king, and this is natural.
However, Achitophel immediately understood that a kind of doubt had arisen in Absalom’s mind and attempted to convey that King David, despite his gentle nature and mild temperament, was not suitable to rule, being too soft-hearted for the governance. When Achitophel realized that a conspiracy was underway, he also realized that, after the conspiracy, Absalom would need to instill fear. Therefore, he told Absalom that King David might not be a bad person, but when his brother would ascend the throne, Absalom would not hold such a significant position in the new reign, and the new king’s main concern would be to eliminate Absalom.
Essentially, much work has been done to instill this fear. At that time, Absalom felt that it would be appropriate for him to take leadership in a rebellion for England. Subsequently, Absalom renounced the royal court and went to various places to convince people that he was on their side. He asserted that his father David’s power was gradually diminishing, and David was becoming more dependent on his friends and foreign kings. Therefore, Absalom actively incited people to rebel against him.
In this manner, we see that Achitophel’s provocation worked, and Absalom’s mind turned away from his father. He was so influenced by Achitophel’s words that he became eager to rebel against his own father and actively endeavored to take leadership in the rebellion. However, what the Duke of Monmouth failed to comprehend was that the real leadership was in the hands of the Earl of Shaftesbury, or Achitophel. Achitophel cleverly manipulated people to foster unity, and the Duke of Monmouth was merely a front. Failing to understand this, the Duke of Monmouth took up arms against his father, unaware that the true orchestrator behind the rebellion was Achitophel.
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