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John Dryden's 'Absalom and Achitophel' is a political satire that critiques 17th-century English politics through the biblical story of Absalom's rebellion, with King David representing Charles II and Absalom symbolizing the Duke of Monmouth. The poem employs literary devices such as allegory, satire, metaphor, and irony to comment on the political conflicts of the time. Ultimately, Dryden argues against attempts to alter the established order of succession, portraying the rebellion as misguided.

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John Dryden's 'Absalom and Achitophel' is a political satire that critiques 17th-century English politics through the biblical story of Absalom's rebellion, with King David representing Charles II and Absalom symbolizing the Duke of Monmouth. The poem employs literary devices such as allegory, satire, metaphor, and irony to comment on the political conflicts of the time. Ultimately, Dryden argues against attempts to alter the established order of succession, portraying the rebellion as misguided.

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EL

1. John Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel is a political satire that draws from

the biblical story of Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David, to

critique 17th-century English politics. King David represents Charles II, while

Absalom symbolizes his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, who is

manipulated by Achitophel (the Earl of Shaftesbury) into leading a rebellion.

Achitophel uses flattery and ambition to sway Absalom, but the poem

ultimately portrays the revolt as misguided and doomed. Dryden, a royalist,

supported the established order of succession and used this allegory to

argue against attempts to alter i .

Links: https://www.enotes.com/topics/absalom-achitophel

2. In John Dryden’s poem Absalom and Achitophel, several literary devices are

prominently used:

Allegory: The poem is an extended allegory, where the biblical story of

Absalom and Achitophel is used to comment on contemporary political

events in England, particularly the conflicts between the Whigs and Tories.

Satire: Dryden employs satire to critique and mock political figures and

situations, using humor and exaggeration to make his points about the

political climate of his time.

Metaphor: The poem is rich in metaphor, using the biblical characters and

events as metaphors for the political figures and events in 17th-century

England.

Irony: Dryden uses irony to highlight the discrepancies between appearance

and reality, often pointing out the hypocrisy of the characters he describes.
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