Absalom and Achitophel

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Absalom and Achitophel is a celebrated 1681 political satire in verse by John Dryden that allegorically critiques the Exclusion Crisis in Restoration England through a biblical narrative.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf poem
political satire
verse satire
allegoricalTimePeriod reign of Charles II NERFINISHED
allegoricalTo Exclusion Crisis NERFINISHED
author John Dryden NERFINISHED
basedOn biblical story of Absalom’s rebellion against King David
countryOfOrigin England
firstPublicationPlace London NERFINISHED
followedBy Absalom and Achitophel, Part II NERFINISHED
genre political poetry
satire
hasCharacter Absalom NERFINISHED
Achitophel NERFINISHED
David NERFINISHED
Zimri NERFINISHED
historicalContext Restoration England
influenced later English political satire
language English
literaryForm poetry
literaryMovement Neoclassicism NERFINISHED
Restoration literature
literaryTechnique allegory
allusion to Scripture
satirical characterization
mainTheme loyalty and treachery
monarchy and political power
rebellion against legitimate authority
succession crisis
meter heroic couplets
narrativeMode third-person narrative
notableFor complex political allegory
portrayal of contemporary politicians as biblical figures
skillful use of heroic couplets
opposes Exclusionists
Whig leaders
originalMedium print
politicalAlignment royalist
politicalContext Exclusion Crisis NERFINISHED
publicationYear 1681
setting biblical Israel NERFINISHED
supports King Charles II NERFINISHED
timePeriodDepicted reign of King David
usesCharacterAsAllegoryFor Absalom – James Scott, Duke of Monmouth NERFINISHED
Achitophel – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury NERFINISHED
David – King Charles II of England NERFINISHED
ZimriRepresents George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

John Dryden notableWork Absalom and Achitophel