Absalom and Achitophel (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: John Dryden
- First Published: 1681
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Type of Plot: Satire
- Time of Work: Biblical antiquity
- 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: London, England, Jerusalem
Places Discussed
*Jerusalem. Capital city of the ancient Israelites (also called Sion), beginning with King David’s reign. Within the poem itself, Jerusalem is never described; its presence is merely assumed as the backdrop for the action, as dictated by history. What interests Dryden is not so much the location of the story, but the psychology of the characters involved in the rebellion. Insofar as he uses a biblical story to reflect political events in England, Jerusalem represents London. Dryden uses biblical events and characters in the poem to mirror the political...
[The entire page is 555 words long]
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