Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden Free Essay Example

‘Absalom and Achitophel’ a heroic satire was written by John Dryden in 1681-1682. ‘A gallery of portraits’ this was Sir Walter Scott’s description of ‘Absalom and Achitophel’. This poem presents the portraits which predominantly unveils the art of Dryden. In these portraits, we commend the very sublime sense of elegant touch and above all the aptness of delightful characterization.

The striking thing about Dryden’s characterization lies in the variety of treatment in his presentation of the diverse personalities involved. Each one of the characters is differently sketched.

Some of them are drawn as full-length portraits, some are ‘cut out but for a picture to the waste’ like (Absalom), some characters are by interference only (David, for instance), some are little more than named and form units of a composite portrait larger than themselves.

The characters form two groups in this poem. One is of the plotters or the malcontents, and other of true loyalists (‘faithful band of worthies’). Simply put, the rogue’s gallery of Whigs is balanced by a series of portraits of the King’s supporters.

The king’s adversary group consists of two commoner and two noblemen and we find an inclined descent from the lofty accusation of Achitophel to the abusive disdain heaped upon Corah.

Achitophel, the main target of course, whose portrait is developed in an almost invariably high style, so that Achitophel becomes a character in this mock-heroic poem. This portrait serves an example to the way of writing a biting satire without humor. Dryden wants us to see Achitophel as a very real threat to the security of the state and hence Dryden employs a serious and lofty manner of sketching this character.

This portrait does not degrade into a mere lampoon at any point. Achitophel is presented almost entirely in moral terms. An exploration of the epithets presented to him is quite revealing. He is intellectually gifted, being ‘sagacious’, his wits are ‘great’, and his eyes ‘discerning’, but these values are fused with a fundamentally unbalanced temperament which acts as a thin line between his wits and madness. The adjectives used for him are courtly and never simply rude. These adjectives are turbulent, bold, restless, unfixed, unpleased, impatient, wild, prodigal, daring, and implacable. Such accumulations propose a volcanic zest which must erupt despite the disaster that might result afterward. Dryden employs familiar imagery and rhetorical devices in portraying this character.

Thus Achitophel has a pigmy body which he ‘fretted to decay’ as he could not please it. The phrase ‘tenement of clay’ used for the body reminds us of the burial service and therefore, of the shortness of man’s life. Dryden deplores Achitophel’s abuse of both his talent and energy and in lines 180-191 he praises Achitophel’s authority and integrity as a judge. This praise lies within the tradition of the satirical convention. By praising Achitophel’s good qualities, Dryden is able to give the impression that he is telling the whole truth and this, in turn, increases the validity of his condemnation.

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