Discussion Topic
The mock-heroic elements in Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe."
Summary:
Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe" employs mock-heroic elements by using the grandiose style and structure of epic poetry to satirize its subject. The poem exaggerates the triviality of the protagonist, Thomas Shadwell, by presenting him in a lofty, heroic manner, thus highlighting the absurdity and mediocrity of his literary talents.
How is Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe" a mock-heroic poem?
Dryden was the greatest master of his time in the art of the mock-heroic
poem. These follow the form of classical heroic poems written by early masters,
specifically by Homer as Illiad and Odyssey are the standards
from which mock-heroics are constructed: The elements remain the same though
they are employed to mock with satire and parody rather than to praise.
The form, in imitation of the heroic standard, begins with a tribute to the
Muse inspiring the poet to write. In Dryden’s mocks, the muse may be the human
who inspired him to wax satirical, like Carlyle for The Rape of the
Lock. However, for Mac Flecknoe, Dryden's inspiration seems to
have been the contemplation of "Fate":
All humane things are subject to decay,
And, when Fate summons, Monarchs must obey:
In mock-heroics, other formulaic standards are followed, such as the ritual dressing for battle, processions of...
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valor, calling upon the aid of gods, and victory celebrations. InFlecknoe, the ritual dressing, such as Achilles (Homer) and Belinda (Dryden) were privileged to, seems to have been substituted by a ritual undressing as Flecknoe's successor to "Emperor of ... Prose and Verse" has his demerits categorized and satirized:
Sh—— alone, of all my Sons, is he
Who stands confirm'd in full stupidity.
In imitation of Homer, Dryden includes references to Greek gods and mythology as in his reference to Arion, the mythological Greek poet who was borne across seas by dolphins. Dryden concludes his mock-heroic with a celebratory calling of the Homeric-like champion to arms where Flecknoe passes the mantle and departs--actually, in a Biblical allusion to Elijah, he departs and then the mantle falls upon Sh---.
And down they sent the yet declaiming Bard.
Sinking he left his Drugget robe behind,
Born upwards by a subterranean wind. [215]
The Mantle fell to the young Prophet's part,
With double portion of his Father's Art.
What does "mock heroic" mean in the context of "Mac Flecknoe"?
A mock-heroic poem uses the formal elements which characterise the epic genre (heightened poetic diction, elaborated and lengthy similies, archaic words) to depict a trivial situation. It thus create a contrast between form and content that results in a satiric and absurd effect, ridiculing the characters in the plot and their actions.
Dryden conceived Mac Flecknoe as a satire against his contemporary playwright Thomas Shadwell. The title itself points to the absurd dimension of the poem by making Shadwell the son of (Mac) Richard Flecknoe, another writer whom Dryden despised. Flecknoe is described as a king, which recalls the status of epic heroes, but his kingdom is Nonsense, a name that mocks his supposedly heroic status. He abdicates in favor of the most obtuse of his children, Shadwell, who, just because of his intellectual weakness, is the siutable heir to the throne. The scene of the coronation, usually a noble topic, is significantly set in a dilapidated environment, thus deflating its nobility.
The mechanism of the mock-heroic genre consists in prasing the characters for their triviality and vulgarity. Thus, Dryden never directly attacks Shadwell, rather he obtains his result of belittling him by exhalting his ignorance and bad wrinting.