Absalom and Achitophel Character Analysis - Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, Revised Third Edition

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At a glance:

Author: John Dryden
First Published: 1681
Type of Work: Poetry
Type of Plot: Satire
Time of Work: Late seventeenth century
Setting: London, England
Genres: Satire, Poetry, Lyric sequence, Mock-heroic poetry
Subjects: England or English people, Seventeenth century, Kings, queens, or royalty, Biblical times, Israel or Israelis, Jews and Gentiles, Heads of state, Monarchy
Locales: Europe, Asia, London, England, Jerusalem, United Kingdom

Characters Discussed

David

David, the king of Israel, a poetic representation of Charles II, king of England. Many dissatisfied Jews (Whigs) wish to rebel against him and secure the succession of his illegitimate son, Absalom (the duke of Monmouth), to the throne. The wiser Jews (Tories) see no cause for revolt against a just ruler.

Absalom

Absalom, the illegitimate son of David, king of Israel, and a poetic representation of the duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles II, king of England. The dissident Jews (Whigs) seek to make him heir to his...

(The entire page is 566 words.)

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External Links

Absalom and Achitophel (Wikipedia Reference)

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