Absalom and Achitophel | Absalom and Achitophel

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
Principal Characters: David, Absalom, Achitophel
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

The political situation in Israel (England), had much to do with David’s (Charles II’s) virility, which though wasted on a barren queen, produced a host of illegitimate progeny, of which by far the fairest and noblest was Absalom (Duke of Monmouth). David’s kingly virtues were equally strong but unappreciated by a great number of Jews (Whigs), who because of a perverse native temperament, wanted to rebel. Although David had provided no cause for rebellion, as the wiser Jews (Tories) pointed out, a cause was found in the alleged Jebusite (Catholic) plot to...

Absalom and Achitophel | Absalom and Achitophel

At a glance:

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